The Adventures of Shadowcat and Rogue!
by shanejayell
Summary: Now Complete! On a leave of absence, Rogue stays with Kitty, where they discover new common ground.
1. Absent with Leave

The Adventures of Shadowcat and Rogue  
  
Part One: Absent with leave  
  
Kitty got out of bed, stood up and stretched. She dressed quickly, went into the bathroom, combed her straight brown hair and brushed away her usually bad morning breath. She sighed softly to herself as she quietly opened the door and peeked into the guest room. The small bed was tidied up and empty, just like it had been every morning for the last two weeks.  
  
Kitty went to the closet, pulled on a jacket over her blue pajamas, slipped her boots on and quickly made her way behind the house to walk to the abandoned quarry nearby the cabin. As she approached the quarry valley, the sound of violently breaking stones grew louder and louder.  
  
Rogue's muscle shirt and boxer shorts were soaked with sweat, clinging to every curve of her body. Her shoulder length red hair stuck to her head, only the white streak seeming to have any life to it. She punched at the stone wall, her bare fists pulverizing the rock into so much dust. Then Rogue drew her arm back, and with a soft 'snikt' noise, bone claws emerged from her hand. She then ripped into the stone with them, cutting and shaping the bare rock with ease.  
  
It still unnerved Kitty a little bit, seeing Wolverine's claws on Rogue's hands. It was an aspect of her powers that Rogue had only just discovered, and she was a little giddy about it. She had shown Kitty a few different tricks, each one seeming to delight her more. But Kitty did wonder what was going on under that cheery surface.  
  
"There's coffee ready," Kitty called out to Rogue as she kept a safe distance from any of the flying rock shards. She tried not to stare at Rogue, at the sweat steaming off her sexy body in the cold morning air. Kitty had always envied Rogue her healthy good looks, truth be told. And now she was feeling other things too, when she looked at her old friend.  
  
Rogue gestured to the sketched out beginnings of a human face and body that she had just carved into the rough stone wall. "What do you think?" she asked a smiling Kitty cheerfully. "Am I the next Michelangelo?"  
  
"Not too bad," Kitty said admiringly. The face was only roughly marked out, the details that would define who it was were still mostly missing. "So who do you think it's going to be?" Kitty asked her curiously.  
  
"To be honest, I'm not that sure," Rogue admitted. She smiled at Kitty happily and asked her, "Did you say there's coffee?"  
  
They quietly walked together, enjoying the crisp fall breeze in New England. "Maine's lovely this time of year," Kitty sighed to herself happily as leaves fell around them, adding to the thick carpet beneath them.  
  
Rogue chuckled softly, "Kitty, if I wasn't nearly invulnerable, this little ol' southern belle would be totally miserable." She grinned over at her, cheerfully adding "I guess I'm just a hothouse flower at heart."  
  
Kitty stuck her tongue out at Rogue, who just laughed at her. "I'm just glad it hasn't snowed early this year," Kitty remarked, getting a look of pure horror from Rogue.  
  
Rogue reached over to stop Kitty, a gentle hand placed on her arm. "Seriously," she said with a shy smile on her face, "thanks for letting me stay up here with you." Rogue then shrugged a bit, "Otherwise, I think I would have just spent my leave of absence working out in the Danger Room, or something, instead of out here with such good company."  
  
"We don't get to see each other as much, since I left the X-Men," Kitty said softly. She smiled over at Rogue fondly as she added, "I've found I miss you guys, and I'm glad just to catch up with what's been happening with you."  
  
They went inside, and Rogue went into her room to change clothes while Kitty went into the kitchen to get their breakfast dished up on the dining room table. The two of them had fallen into an odd pattern, these last few weeks here: Rogue had done the heavy labor jobs, Kitty the more domestic tasks. It was an oddly pleasant experience for both of them. Rogue walked out of the bedroom in one of her black bodystockings, a pair of shorts and a T-shirt over it.  
  
Rogue had tried just to wear the black bodystockings alone at first, but somehow it made her feel too uncomfortable. It was a bit too much like being totally naked in front of Kitty. 'I wonder why that bothers me?' Rogue thought, then shook her head to banish that difficult question.  
  
Rogue stopped in the doorway, sniffed at the air, and then she smiled very happily. "Have I said how much I really enjoy your pancakes?" she asked Kitty with a broad grin on her face. They sat down together at the cabin's dining room table and dug in with vigor.  
  
The day passed like many of their others, with Rogue experimenting with her new abilities outside in the abandoned quarry while Kitty stayed indoors working on her many university courses. Kitty was already well on her way to obtaining one degree and was also considering adding another program, a thought that simply blew Rogue's mind.  
  
Kitty brought a picnic basket full of snacks out for them that afternoon, and they shared it sitting together on a small hill that overlooked the quarry. "So when did your new gifts kick in?" Kitty asked, offering Rogue a sandwich.  
  
Rogue took a generous bite and smiled happily, savoring the flavor. Taking a swallow, she shrugged as she explained, "I popped the claws in the middle of an emergency. As you can imagine, I totally freaked. As far as we can figure, I retain a... " she stopped, and tried to find the right descriptive word for what she had in mind.  
  
"Imprint?" Kitty helpfully suggested.  
  
"Imprint," Rogue agreed with a nod, "of each power I've absorbed over the years. And now I can call up those imprints at will."  
  
"So what's the downside of this?" Kitty asked her. At Rogue's one raised eyebrow, a wryly smiling Kitty added "You wouldn't be out here practicing with your powers every single day if there wasn't at least one."  
  
"All my regular abilities are now up for grabs," Rogue said with a small sigh. "I can't be sure if I'm actually invulnerable unless I make sure to turn it on, and so on and so forth. And I still can't touch anybody without risking stealing their powers or memories, maybe permanently," Rogue finally added sadly.  
  
Kitty didn't add anything to that. What could she say, really? With Rogue's uncontrolled absorption power, the simplest human touch was just too dangerous for her to risk. About to say something, Kitty stopped dead, as an idea suddenly occurred to her.  
  
'What if her power couldn't lock on to the person doing the touching?' a oddly wide eyed Kitty wondered. She began to run through the various possibilities of how to make the idea work, the math involved running in a stream behind her open eyes.  
  
"Kitty?" Rogue asked her with a impish smile as she looked over at the zoned out girl sitting absolutely still beside her. She then waved her hand in front of her face, "Earth to Kitty, hello Kitty, can you read me? Hey, Kitty, are you there?" Finally, Rogue gave up on subtlety and instead pinched her in the side.  
  
"Oww!" Kitty gasped. She looked over at the very amused Rogue, and realized what had happened. "Sorry," Kitty said, blushing.  
  
Rogue just laughed, "I seem to remember one time you did that while you were piloting the Blackbird. Talk about complete and utter panic. I'm just glad that you remembered to turn on the plane's auto-pilot first." Kitty blushed even harder, and put a half of a sandwich into Rogue's mouth to stop any further teasing from her.  
  
"How are things with your parents?" Rogue gently asked Kitty after finishing chewing up her mouth full. Kitty's parents had divorced shortly after she joined the X-men full time, and at the time she had really taken it badly. Kitty had been extremely angry with both of them, and it had taken her a long time to recover.  
  
"I'm talking to them, they're talking to each other, but other than that, it's all status-quo," Kitty said with a shrug, munching on some chips. "At least we're not still fighting all the time." She looked over at Rogue and asked something she had been wondering about a long time, "What was it like, being raised by a lesbian couple?"  
  
"Raven and Irene didn't really advertise it," Rogue said with a small, odd smile. She then laughed suddenly as she added "I just thought they were roomies and best friends until I accidentally walked in on them during a intimate moment when I was, oh, about ten."  
  
"Oh my god," a blushing Kitty said with a broad grin. Rogue grinned impishly back at her, and they both shared a laugh.  
  
"You would not believe how quickly two grown women, one much older than the other, can get themselves dressed when absolutely necessary," Rogue said, chuckling softly. "I think," she said with a smile, "that was when I got my very first real 'birds and the bees' talk, too." She grinned at the mental image of a blushing Irene and Raven, both in just their bathrobes, trying to reason with the little kid she had been.  
  
Kitty passed the bowl of chips over to Rogue. "Speaking of the birds and the bees," Kitty said to her softly, "what's been going on with you and Gambit lately? I sort of expected him to visit you here, or something."  
  
"We're done," Rogue sighed sadly. She smiled oddly, "To be honest, I think I fell for the image he generates, the charming thief, without really letting myself see who was actually underneath all that." She sadly munched a generous handful of chips and smiled wryly, "Not a lot of depth there, it turned out."  
  
Kitty reached over to pat her arm a bit awkwardly. "I'm sorry I asked," Kitty said sadly, blushing a little. She brightened. "Is there anybody new, at least?" Kitty asked her hopefully, looking like a typical teenager grilling her friend.  
  
Rogue looked at her, and Kitty was surprised at the depths she saw in her dark eyes. "Maybe," Rogue finally said to Kitty a few moments later, as she looked away from her off into the distance. "I guess we'll just have to see."  
  
They finished their lunch, and as Rogue and Kitty packed up the containers, Kitty added "I just got a new video in the mail from a friend of mine today. Do you want to sit down and watch it with me later tonight?"  
  
"Sure," Rogue agreed cheerfully, "I'd love to watch a movie." Rogue added silently, 'With you,' and wondered where that little thought had come from. Both in agreement, they separated, with Rogue returning to work on her only partially finished carving, and Kitty leaving to finish off her own equally incomplete homework.  
  
They ate a light dinner together, and Kitty put the video on afterward. "I should warn you," Kitty said with a little smile as they settled on the oversized couch, "it's an anime tape. The title is "Read or Die", and Stevie says I should really see it, for some reason."  
  
"I didn't know you liked anime," Rogue said, a bit surprised. "I've seen some stuff on T.V. before, like Digimon, Cardcaptors, and Sailor Moon, of course." She smiled, "I thought they were pretty cool."  
  
"The English versions?" Kitty asked her with a little frown. At Rogue's nod, Kitty clutched her chest and groaned loudly, then said "You've got to see the originals! I'll ask Stevie to send them, maybe, when I write my thank you letter for this tape."  
  
"Stevie Hunter?" a surprised Rogue said. She then shook her head, adding "Our old dance instructor likes anime too? Cool!"  
  
"She's the one who got me into anime, actually. Stevie's a real old school Otaku, back in the betamax era!" Kitty said with a laugh.  
  
After the jazzy starting sequence, Rogue took one look at the image of Yomiko's room and started to loudly laugh, even as Kitty blushed furiously. "See anyone you find familiar?" Rogue said with a soft chuckle.  
  
"I wasn't that bad," Kitty protested, "even in my bookworm phase." They kept watching, and Miss Deep soon appeared to use her powers on the very startled Yomiko. "That's so cool!" a grinning Kitty exclaimed.  
  
Rogue whistled softly as a sequence highlighting Yomiko's powers came on next. "I didn't think controlling paper would be a very useful power, but it is kind of neat," she admitted. Rogue smiled at the sweet scene where Miss Deep told Yomiko her real name, Nancy, and noticed that Kitty was getting a bit misty eyed as well.  
  
They sat and watched all three episodes on the tape, and both sighed sadly at the ending. "That was pretty cool," Kitty said, getting up and stretching. Her back made a soft 'crack' noise, and Rogue found her eyes drawn to the graceful curve that Kitty's slim body made in the dim light of the setting sun.  
  
'God, she's so good looking,' Rogue suddenly thought to herself, looking the pretty girl over. 'And I think she doesn't even realize it,' Rogue finished.  
  
"I was a bit surprised by the romantic tension that developed between Yomiko and Nancy," Rogue admitted to Kitty aloud. Kitty smiled at that even as she picked up the remnants of their snacks that were scattered around the couch.  
  
"It's not that unusual, really, in anime," Kitty pointed out to Rogue. "You know about Haruka and Michiru from Sailor Moon, right?" she asked.  
  
"Who doesn't?" Rogue nodded with a smile. "So," Rogue asked Kitty teasingly, "do you think there's a Yomiko waiting for you out there, Miss Deep?" Kitty, surprisingly, blushed brightly and didn't answer the question. "Uhm, Kitty," Rogue asked her teasingly, with a impish smile on her face, "is there something you wanted to tell me?"  
  
"What is this, a game of Truth or Dare?" Kitty asked, still blushing. Rogue smirked, and Kitty grinned back at her. "Ok, go get your pajamas on. If we're gonna do girl talk, I at least want do it as comfortable as possible."  
  
A few minutes later, Rogue wore her long pajamas, and Kitty was in a nightie, sitting together on the large bed in Kitty's room. The walls bore quite a few anime posters, one of the few concessions to Kitty's relative youth. A good variety of pajama party style snacks are arrayed all around them.  
  
"So, Kitty," an eager Rogue asked her with a little smile on her face, "is there a girl out there, just waiting for you to arrive?"  
  
Kitty blushed as she protested, "I'm not totally innocent, Rogue." She passed the bag of chips over to her, and as they both munched, she said "Lately, I've had a bit of a crush on a close friend, and I did have a relationship with a girl a few years ago."  
  
"Lady killer!" Rogue exclaimed teasingly. "So who were you involved with?" Rogue asked her curiously.  
  
"Illyana," Kitty confessed very, very softly. Rogue looked over at her in surprise, and Kitty blushed and blurted out, "She seduced me, all right!"  
  
Rogue thought of the pretty blond girl who had Kitty's best friend for so very long, and felt a sudden stab of jealousy that she struggled to push aside. "It must have really hurt, losing her," Rogue said softly. Kitty looked away, her eyes dark.  
  
"It wasn't easy, when she was finally transformed," Kitty said softly. "She didn't actually die then, not exactly, but I still lost the girl I loved in every way that mattered." She roughly shook her head, and forced a small smile, "But I did get over it, eventually. My run of romantic bad luck still continued though."  
  
"And now you've fallen for somebody else?" Rogue asked her gently. It hurt, to think of Kitty loving someone else, but Rogue pushed the pain aside.  
  
"Yeah, but it's probably totally hopeless for lots of reasons," Kitty said with a brave smile on her pretty face.  
  
"But if you don't tell her," Rogue said to her softly, "then there's no chance at all." Rogue looked at Kitty sadly, 'I'm glad she's in love,' she thought. 'She doesn't need a untouchable person in love with her, like me.' Rogue realized she cared for Kitty, maybe even loved her, and Rogue's heart ached in anticipation for Kitty's next words.  
  
"That's... sort of what I'm trying to do," Kitty said to Rogue gently. She then reached out with her bare hand and lightly stroked across the shocked Rogue's cheek. She leaned in and kissed her cheek, firmly.  
  
"How... how on Earth did you," Rogue started to ask her, and Kitty shushed her gently, a bare finger resting against her lips. Again, Rogue felt bare skin on her own, a expression she only rarely felt before.  
  
"I'm phased, just a little bit," Kitty said, and kissed Rogue again, this time softly on the lips. "Just enough that your power doesn't register me." They kissed a few moments, then Kitty drew back, "Do you want me to stop?"  
  
"Hell no," Rogue exclaimed happily. "I'm in love with you, Kitty, and I thought that I didn't have a chance with you!"  
  
"I love you, Rogue," Kitty quietly echoed, and then she gently drew Rogue down on top of her on the bed.  
  
Kitty stretched happily, as the dawn's light came through the bedroom window. She turned in the bed and stopped cold. She was lying there, alone. 'Was it just a dream?' Kitty wondered, but then she noticed a piece of paper folded on the pillow beside her.  
  
Good morning, Kitty. I woke up this morning and I knew who's face I had been trying to carve. I didn't want to wake you (you look so cute while you're sleeping, you know that?) so please come out once you're up. Love, Rogue.  
  
Kitty looked at the note, then hugged it to her chest.  
  
Kitty quickly dressed, pulling on her housecoat and boots over her pajamas. A few short moments later, she headed out, carrying two cups of steaming coffee for her and Rogue to drink together. She heard a soft chipping then silence as she neared the quarry. Rogue came around the cliff face and smiled happily as soon as she saw Kitty.  
  
"Kitty," Rogue sighed happily, walking towards her. Kitty put her cups down and they came together in a firm hug. "Good morning, sweetheart," Rogue said softly.  
  
"It's good to see you too, love," a blushing Kitty answered, and kissed Rogue softly. "I missed you, this morning."  
  
"It was worth it," Rogue said softly, taking Kitty's hand and gently pulling her along. They came around the corner, and Kitty gasped in astonishment.  
  
The face was hers! Kitty Pryde gazed out of the wall with a mysterious smile on her face, part of her body emerging from the stone as if she was phasing through it. "I'm not that pretty," Kitty said in a soft whisper.  
  
"You've always been to me," Rogue admitted as she answered her simply, taking Kitty gently into her arms. She kissed her gently, but lingeringly.  
  
Kitty looked up into Rogue's eyes, her own brimming with tears. "Will you marry me?" Kitty asked, half in jest.  
  
"Yes," Rogue answered Kitty in perfect seriousness, "I'd love to," and then she kissed her again, fiercely. She took a small ring from her pocket, improvised from some wire and silvery foil from the kitchen. "Until I can get you a real one," she said, slipping it on Kitty's finger.  
  
Kitty chuckled a bit, pulling her own improvised ring out of her coat pocket. They shared a quiet laugh as she then slipped it on Rogue's finger. "And that brings up the next difficult question," Kitty sighed, relaxing a little in Rogue's arms. "Who do we invite to the wedding?" she asked with a little smile.  
  
"What?!" Rogue asked, even as she gave her such a surprised look that Kitty couldn't help but laugh. 


	2. Prelude

The Adventures of Shadowcat and Rogue  
  
Prelude  
  
The Alley was a massive tunnel buried far beneath Manhattan, created during the cold war terror as a refuge for humanity. Instead it was abandoned, until it was discovered and used by the outcasts of our society. Now, it was choked with smoke, and filled with the anguished cries of the many wounded and the dying. The Morlocks, a small band of outcast mutants, had lived here in peace until just a few hours ago.  
  
Then, the assassins known only as the Marauders came. A group of ruthless killers, they had slain the men, women and innocent children of the Morlocks without any hesitation or signs of mercy. Until the X-men arrived to try and stop them.  
  
Shadowcat frowned to herself, pushing her long brown hair out of her eyes. Her dark blue costume helped conceal her in the corner shadows, giving her a much-needed moment to catch her breath. Things were not going well for the X-Men, not well at all. These guys were very, very good, and her friends were just barely managing to hold their own. She saw Rogue stagger, falling to her knees, from what she couldn't see.  
  
The Marauder who called himself Harpoon saw his chance, raising his namesake weapon to toss at her. Once it left his hands it would become a bolt of pure energy, 'Enough energy to kill the X-man, surely.' he thought to himself with a sinister smile. He drew his arm back, and threw it with all the force he could muster.  
  
Kitty saw it coming and did the only thing she could think of to do. She grabbed Rogue from behind, phasing them both in the desperate hope that the energy bolt would pass right through them both harmlessly. It didn't.  
  
Kitty's scream of pain echoed off the walls of the Alley, chilling the hearts of all the X-Men who were present.  
  
A few days later, Rogue leaned against the life support capsule that Kitty floated in, her black bodysuit stained and dirty, the outfit she wore over it just tossed on hurriedly. She reached up, wiping at her eyes as secretively as possible. She hoped no one had see her crying, she didn't want to loose the tough girl reputation she had earned. 'I let my guard down,' she thought to herself fiercely, 'and she paid the price.'  
  
At first, it had just seemed that the energy bolt only trapped Kitty in her phased state, but that was only the beginning. She was growing more and more out of phase, to the point where her body would eventually loose it's ability to hold itself together. She would die as her component atoms scattered to the four winds.  
  
"Why, Pryde?" Rogue whispered softly. "Why did you go and do that for someone you still just barely know?" she finished. She remembered how rough her arrival to the X-men had been, with Kitty one of the few neutral members. She waited to see what Rogue would do, which to the desperate young woman had felt like a gift from the gods.  
  
She turned her head and started in surprise. Kitty was kneeling down in the capsule so that she was crouched down right there beside her. Kitty smiled gently at Rogue, and her mouth formed the words carefully, exaggerating them so Rogue might understand. 'I'm just glad Mystique taught me to lip read,' a teary eyed Rogue thought to herself.  
  
"You're my friend," the nearly silent Kitty said to Rogue simply.  
  
  
  
Rogue smiled a bit as she remembered that moment, a hale and healthy Kitty Pryde walking by her side down this crowded street in Germany. Kitty had eventually been cured by the unlikely alliance of Dr. Doom and Reed Richards, but her long period of recovery had separated her from Rogue's team of X-men. It was only in the last few months that they had both actually been on the same X-team, together again.  
  
They were in this unlikely place because of a urgent message from Mystique that she was in some kind of trouble. Rogue and Nightcrawler felt an obligation to go, as she was, in a way, both of their mothers. But Rogue felt a great deal of relief having Kitty along with them as well. A feeling she didn't let herself examine too closely.  
  
"Thanks for taking me with you," Kitty said with a cheery smile. "Visiting foreign lands, seeing the tourist spots, and the opportunity to get away from the weirdness back at the mansion for awhile is great."  
  
"Not a problem, Pryde. I'm just glad you're willing to help me and Kurt deal with our little family problem," Rogue answered her honestly. 'And it's always nice to be with you,' she added to herself silently.  
  
"It may not be so little," Kitty cautioned her with a shrug. She then looked towards Rogue thoughtfully, "I know this is really personal for you and Kurt. I was wondering why you agreed to let me come along?"  
  
Rogue looked a bit surprised at that, a bit at a loss for words. Finally, she unconsciously echoed the words Kitty had used with her so long ago, "Because you're my friend." But somehow, those words didn't seem to be quite enough... 


	3. Back in the Saddle

The Adventures of Shadowcat and Rogue  
  
Part Two: Back in the saddle again  
  
Two weeks later, Kitty and Rogue were back sitting on the hill by the quarry. The mail had arrived yesterday, and they had watched several films Stevie had sent them together. Kitty and Rogue had each received letters, and both contained a message from Ororo.  
  
They lunched together quietly, then at the same time they turned to each other and said  
  
"Kitty, Storm's asked me..." Rogue started.  
  
"Rogue, Ororo wants me..." Kitty said.  
  
The two looked at each other and laughed softly. Rogue made a 'lady's first' gesture, and Kitty said "Storm is forming a new X-team, to search for the Destiny diaries, and she wants me in it because of my research skills and our finding the first one together."  
  
Rogue smiled slightly, "Same here. Because she thinks Destiny might have wanted me to find them, and that my personal connection might give us some clues to their location."  
  
"Do you want to go?" Kitty asked Rogue simply.  
  
"Yes, I do" Rogue admitted, then she smiled "but not without you." Kitty looked at her in surprise, and Rogue firmly added "I don't want to be without you, Kitty. I meant it, when I said we were married."  
  
Kitty hugged Rogue fiercely, and said "We'll go there together, then. Retirement's been too boring for me, anyway."  
  
Rogue fought tears, knowing that Kitty was sacrificing her peaceful life for her, and softly said "I love you."  
  
"I love you, too," Kitty said tearfully. She grinned suddenly, "And if anybody has a problem with it, they get to deal with kung-fu Kitty!"  
  
Rogue laughed as they got up and hurried back to the cabin. They had packing to do, preparing for their new life together, and , she thought with a naughty little grin, probably a very sleepless night ahead...  
  
  
  
Kitty and Rogue got up out of their seats on the commercial airplane, both of them taking the opportunity to look out the window as their plane approached the airport at Sydney, Australia. The Sydney Opera House was a beautiful sight, along with the clear, blue water and the glorious sunlight, such a great change from cool New England.  
  
"Do we know who'll be meeting us?" Kitty asked Rogue quietly as she sat back down in her chair. She pulled her seatbelt over her middle, just in case.  
  
"I sent them the keys to a safehouse here that Irene willed to me," Rogue said to Kitty quietly. "I think they're just settling in, so Ororo wasn't sure who'd be here."  
  
"Are you nervous?" Kitty asked her, a little surprised.  
  
Kitty was still getting used to seeing Rogue with her almost constant guard down. The normal cocky, tough girl act she used to protect herself was gone when Kitty was around, revealing a more hesitant, but sweet young woman. She wondered, in her darker moments, if Gambit had ever seen this side of Rogue. She honestly doubted it, though.  
  
"A little," Rogue shyly admitted. "This is a very big job were taking on. And I'm a bit worried about how they'll react to... us."  
  
"We'll tackle the big jobs when they come, just like always," Kitty said firmly. "And as far as our relationship goes, I think they can handle it," Kitty said with a smile. She covered Rogue's hand with hers, their new, matching gold rings gleaming in the sunlight.  
  
One of their more pleasant experiences on this trip was when one of the stewardesses noticed their matching rings. Instead of the explosion Kitty was almost expecting, she smiled sweetly at both of them and said "Congratulations." Later on, she reappeared with two glasses of wine in real glasses for them both! They toasted each other, then the stewardess' kindness.  
  
Disembarking, they reclaimed their luggage from the carousel and quickly saw Ororo waiting there patiently for them over at the arrival gates. The tall woman certainly stood out in a crowd, african dark skin mixed with her pure white hair. She smiled over at them welcomingly, and as soon as they got near enough enveloped Kitty in a gentle but firm hug.  
  
"Kitten!" Ororo said happily, "It's so good to see you." She then looked over at Rogue and grinned at her, "And Rogue, you so look a great deal better than when I last saw you. May I ask how the vacation was?"  
  
Kitty squirmed free of the hug and grinned up at Ororo cheerfully as she answered "Kitty, not 'Kitten', please, Ororo. I've grown up a little bit, you know."  
  
"You'll always be my 'Kitten' to me," Ororo answered her quietly. Rogue looked at the two of them and realized how maternal Ororo was to Kitty, how much like another mother she was to her. Ororo looked over at Rogue and smiled, but she instantly noticed Rogue wasn't wearing her usual pair of protective gloves.  
  
Rogue flushed a bit under her gaze, slipping her gloves on quickly. But before she did, she took her ring off, and then put it back on over her gloved finger. 'I'm not just standing here in front of my teammate and leader,' Rogue thought to herself as she looked over at Ororo, 'I'm also here in front of my love's surrogate mother, so to speak.'  
  
Rogue nodded to her as she answered Ororo's earlier question, "The vacation was great. I've got a handle on the powers situation, and Kitty has helped teach me a lot." She said the last with a little wink at Kitty, making her blush.  
  
Ororo looked back and forth between them, an odd look on her face. "Rogue," she asked hesitantly, "why weren't you wearing your gloves?"  
  
"New trick," Kitty jumped in, and reached over to caress Rogue's bare cheek with her finger tips. "I guess we're both still a bit giddy."  
  
Ororo looked at the two of them blankly a moment, then a slow smile spread across her face. "Are any congratulations in order?" she asked the two of them, grinning.  
  
Kitty quickly looked around, and noticed they were standing in a quieter section of the large airport. She boldly stepped up to Rogue, wrapped her arms around the surprised girl's neck, and pulled Rogue down into a very vigorous looking kiss! Rogue's half-hearted attempts at struggling free made it look even funnier, and a fiercely blushing Ororo had to fight the urge to laugh.  
  
Kitty finally released her, and Rogue gasped for breath. "Uhm, sorry," Rogue said to the still faintly blushing Ororo, "but we're still sort of honeymooning."  
  
Ororo laughed with them softly. "I think it's perfectly understandable," she cheerfully assured the two of them  
  
They walked together quietly towards the jeep Ororo drove there in, until finally Kitty hesitantly asked her, "Ororo, are you OK with this?"  
  
Ororo smiled at them warmly, and said with clear sincerity "I'm happy for you both. I noticed the rings, did you two have a ceremony?"  
  
"Not yet," Rogue answered smiling, "we wanted to get all our friends together first."  
  
"That may be a while, with everything that's been happening, but we'll try. Have you told your parents?" Ororo asked Kitty quietly.  
  
"No," Kitty answered, then she paused a moment. With a faint blush she shyly admitted "I really wanted to tell you first."  
  
'Just the right thing to say,' Rogue thought, as Ororo smiled over at Kitty with tears in her eyes. She was a bit startled when Ororo looked over at her thoughtfully.  
  
"And have you told Mystique yet?" Ororo asked her curiously. Rogue blinked at her, looking rather surprised.  
  
"As soon as I figure out how," Rogue said sheepishly. Having a criminal for a mother did create certain communication problems, and she didn't want to discuss something this personal in a letter. They talked about lighter matters until they reached the beach front mansion that Rogue had inherited from Irene Alder. They each grabbed a bag and headed up to the large front door, opening it to many cries of greeting.  
  
Bishop gave them each a respectful nod and small, friendly smile. The time lost african-american X-Man still had a little bit of hero worship in his eyes at working beside the heroes of his youth, but to be honest Rogue kind of liked that. The X-men may have had some problems with his gun- wielding methods in the past, but over the years he had become a steady, reliable teammate both of them had worked well with.  
  
Psylocke stepped forward, her long purple hair swinging around her as she politely shook hands with both of them. Elizabeth Braddock was a walking contradiction, a proper English Lady who was merged body and soul with a ninja warrior. Her eyes instantly took in the rings, how Kitty and Rogue stood together, and the former assassin just filed the information away, neither approving of them nor condemning.  
  
Sage nodded slightly to them both, while the pale, black hared woman still kept a safe degree of distance between them. Once she had fought the X-men as Tessa, alongside the infamous Hellfire Club of Manhattan, some of the X-men's deadliest foes.  
  
Now, however, Sage had joined their ranks and made the shocking revelation that she had always been an deep cover agent working on behalf of Prof. Xavier himself. She was a living computer with the unique ability to jump-start a mutant's powers to their next level, and her talents would very likely be invaluable in the search for the Destiny diaries, but still, Kitty and Rogue both didn't fully trust her just yet.  
  
Thunderbird smiled and waved cheerfully at them from the door of the nearby kitchen. The young Mediterranean recruit was very powerful, and was working hard on controlling his super heated plasma abilities, but still seemed like such a rookie. But Neal Sharra had already faced much alongside the X-men, and he was growing up very fast.  
  
"The upper floor rooms are still open," Sage said with a smile. "The rest of us have pretty much taken the ground floor rooms."  
  
Neal blushed a bit as Elizabeth cozied up to his side, "But I'm sure somebody could trade with you if you'd like."  
  
"So the master suite upstairs is still open?" Rogue asked them in confirmation. At Bishop's grave nod she grinned, "Good, then Kitty and I'll be sharing it." Kitty picked up her bags, Rogue grabbed hers and they both headed upstairs.  
  
Behind them, a confused sounding Neal asked the others softly "Why are they sharing when there's two rooms available?"  
  
Elizabeth's very amused voice answered him with another question instead "Why are we sharing a room, love?"  
  
"Because..." he started, then silence. Then a surprised sounding, "Oh!"  
  
Kitty closed the bedroom door, looked over at Rogue, and broke into a fit of giggles. Rogue tried to keep a straight face a few moments longer but finally gave in and laughed too. "I guess we won't be keeping our relationship a deep, dark secret," a smiling Kitty said, after finally getting the fits of laughter under control.  
  
"No, I guess staying in the closet isn't in the cards for us," Rogue agreed as she wiped the last tears of laughter from her eyes.  
  
They unpacked side by side, touching each other every so often as they worked. They quickly had their bags emptied and all the clothes packed away, then they took a moment to sit on the bed and relax after the long flight there.  
  
"You know what I think I'll miss most from the cabin?" Kitty asked Rogue, leaning her head on her shoulder. Rogue placed her arm over Kitty's shoulders, holding her gently.  
  
"Besides your massive anime collection?" a smiling Rogue asked her teasingly, taking a moment to ruffle her collar length brown hair.  
  
Kitty punched her shoulder, then smiled a naughty smile as she whispered softly in Rogue's ear "Ravaging you in front of the fireplace."  
  
Rogue blushed neon red.  
  
The two of them then got up to get changed. Getting of their sweaty travel clothes, they changed into their newly made X-men team uniforms. Rogue had chosen a skintight red and black bodysuit for her, and Kitty wore a similar design done up in blue and black. Shadowcat was back, the stealth fighter supreme! They walked down the stairs together, hand in hand to the welcoming smiles of their teammates.  
  
'There may be some bumps ahead,' Kitty thought as she and Rogue sat down beside their long-time friends for their first real meeting, 'but I do think things are going to work out just fine.' She smiled over at Rogue, who smiled back, 'Just fine.'  
  
In another part of the island continent, a handsome young man emerges from a secluded bar in the bad part of town. "Lovely ladies," Gambit said, looking around at the crowd, "a mansion to case and adventures to be had."  
  
Gambit walked aimlessly for a bit until he passed a newspaper box and stopped, frozen at the prominent headline. In bold letters it read "The X- Men return to Oz!"  
  
"I wonder if she's there with them," Gambit said to himself softly. He smiled a bit, "I guess there's only one way to find out."  
  
  
  
A week later, prison gates opened and a young woman walked out into the sunlight dressed in a plain gray dress. Raven Darkholme took a deep breath of air, then looked around her with a happy smile on her face. She was glad being a shapeshifter meant you had plenty of oportunities to dig up dirt on people.  
  
She sighed a bit. She certainly had to call a lot of favors in to get out of jail this time, though! She was really wondering if it might be time to get out of the business, while she still could. She checked for anyone concealed nearby, then cautiously reached into a pocket and pulled out a plain sealed letter. She popped it open and a airplane ticket along with a small, folded sheet of paper fell right into her hands.  
  
She opened the letter with shaking hands, unfolding it completely before she would let herself look at the words and read them.  
  
Raven, A great opportunity awaits you, if you are willing to go where this ticket will send you. I wish you to be happy there, and hope you have the chance to know true love again. I love you, Irene  
  
Raven blinked, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. She didn't know how many of these letters Destiny had written before her death, but they always turned up when they were needed and were almost always right. She sniffled a bit, they always effected her the same way, too. She then turned over the ticket, and she saw it was a one way trip to the city of Sydney, Australia. 'I guess I could use some sun,' a smiling Raven thought, and climbed in to the complementary taxi the prison system had waiting for her. "To the airport, please," she said to the driver. 


	4. Meet the Parents

The Adventures of Shadowcat and Rogue  
  
Part Three  
  
Kitty felt her heart drop in her chest as Gambit casually walked right into the room their first meeting was held only two weeks ago. The brown hared Cajun was as rakishly handsome as ever, and Kitty just knew the exact reason why he was here. He looked around the room curiously until Ororo spotted him.  
  
"Remy!" Ororo said happily. They had shared quite a few adventures together, so Kitty could certainly understand her cheerful greeting. "When did you get here?"  
  
"Been here awhile, Stormy," he said, using his nickname for her. Ororo mock glared at him, but he just grinned back at her impishly. "So where's Rogue at? I want to see if she still remembers me," he said with a small smile.  
  
"Remy, you should know.." Ororo started to say to him, but Gambit was gone before she could finish the sentence. She turned to where Kitty was standing nearby. "Kitty, you better tell Rogue he's coming," she urged her.  
  
"Right," Kitty nodded, then air walked her way up to the roof and through it into hers and Rogue's bedroom. Rogue was getting changed, and Kitty really wanted to stay there and savor the sight. "Gambit's here," Kitty said without preamble.  
  
Rogue stopped cold, then she finished dressing herself rather quickly. "We knew it would happen," she said calmly, "might as well get it over with." She looked over at Kitty, and suddenly seemed much less self confident, "Would you mind coming with me?"  
  
"Of course," Kitty gently assured her. They headed downstairs to see Gambit holding court in the living room, spinning another one of his tall tales.  
  
"Cherie!" he exclaimed, and quickly was right in front of them. He put his hands on the surprised Rogue's shoulders and leaned in to try and steal a kiss.  
  
"Back off, Remy," a clearly angry Rogue growled, pushing him back from her firmly. He looked honestly surprised as he staggered backward a step, barely keeping his balance as he gazed at Rogue in shock.  
  
Kitty reached over and took Rogue's hand as she said to him firmly, "Rogue's involved with someone else now."  
  
He stood there, looking like someone had hit him in the back of the head. "What?" he asked them quietly. Not waiting for an answer, he quickly turned and fled.  
  
"That went well," Sage said with a small sigh. She looked over at Kitty and Rogue, "It seems we may have another small problem."  
  
"What now?" Rogue asked her irritably. She really wanted a villain to appear as she had a great desire to hit something till it bled.  
  
"It seems your mother's coming to Australia," a slightly smiling Sage said to them, staying totally deadpan.  
  
Rogue looked kind of happy at that small piece of news, while poor Kitty went near totally white. "What's wrong?" Rogue asked her worriedly.  
  
"A case of meet the parents anxiety," Kitty admitted with a small laugh. She got her color back quickly enough, though she still looked awfully nervous.  
  
"Do we know when she'll arrive?" Rogue asked.  
  
"Thanks to Kitty's hacking expertise, I can tell you that she's arriving tomorrow in Sydney," Sage said calmly.  
  
"I guess I better go meet her," Rogue said to herself softly. Kitty walked over to put her hand gently on Rogue's shoulder.  
  
"I'd like to come along too," Kitty said, smiling shyly.  
  
  
  
"Are you all right?" Ororo asked him softly as she came up behind the thief.  
  
Gambit turned to her, and Ororo was surprised to see the faint shine of unshed tears in his eyes. "I guess I really screwed things up this time, huh?" he said to her quietly. He turned back to gaze out at the calm ocean.  
  
"I'm sure it wasn't all your doing, Remy," she chided him gently. Ororo smiled a bit when she added softly "I've watched them together for these last two weeks, and they are honestly happy with each other."  
  
He nodded a bit, then reached up to light a smoke. He inhaled, then blew a stream of smoke into the dark night. "Not something I was very good at, making her happy," he quietly admitted. He looked sadly at Ororo, "Stormy, I won't be sticking around."  
  
"We could use your help," Ororo said to him softly, more out of some loyalty to a old friend than out of any great need. She had sent him an invitation before she knew for sure that Kitty was joining. 'And before I knew about Kitty and Rogue,' she thought ruefully.  
  
He shook his head. "My power's not that spectacular," he said, "and I've seen Pryde in operation." He smiled a bit, adding "She can get into some places even I never could." He put the smoke out, looking very serious all of a sudden. "I'll be going, once I take care of one thing," he said. With that, he seemed to disappear into the shadows.  
  
Kitty stopped drying the dish she was holding, carefully placing it in the drying rack. She didn't seem too surprised, when Gambit stepped from the darkness outside into the warmth of the cozy kitchen. She had already known he was out there. "Gambit," she said to him with a respectful but cautious nod, "how can I help you?"  
  
"Take care of her, please," a sadly smiling Gambit said to Kitty quietly. She turned to him in surprise as he continued, "Storm says you make her happy, Kitty-cat, and for that I'm glad. She's not as tough as she seems..."  
  
Kitty was glad he was conceding peacefully, she didn't want to have to hurt him. She smiled gently at the obviously uncomfortable man, "I'll watch Rogue's back, Remy." She gave him a steady smile, "I promise you that."  
  
Gambit smiled a bit sadly, nodded, and with that, he was gone, out the window and off into the darkness of night.  
  
  
  
Raven Darkholme walked out of the arrival gate and stopped cold, only to duck behind a nearby pillar before the two of them could spot her. Rogue and Kitty stood together, obviously waiting for something, or someone. 'How did they know I was coming? And where are the rest of the X-Men hiding?' Raven thought to herself worriedly.  
  
After a few minutes of frantically scanning the nearby crowds, a revelation slowly dawned on her: there were no other X-Men here. Raven's cheeks colored a bit, it seemed Rogue was just here to greet her, just like any other normal person. Why Kitty was there too was a bit of a mystery, but...  
  
She grinned, and transformed.  
  
Kitty watched the crowds nervously, even as Rogue watched her with a bit of amusement. "Calm down, I'm sure she'll be here soon," Rogue reassured her.  
  
"Sorry," Kitty said. She took a few deep calming breaths as she tried to using some of the relaxation techniques Prof. Xavier had taught them. "It's just that this is the first time I'm meeting your mom since we're become lovers. I've met her before, but now it feels different, you know?" she said with a small smile.  
  
Rogue chuckled softly, "Now you know how I felt when Storm met us here." She grinned over at Kitty.  
  
Kitty laughed a bit, "A very good point." She suddenly goggled, looking at a pretty young woman move towards them through the crowded airport. The little blond was outrageously stacked, almost impossibly so in fact. "I wonder how many operations that took," she quietly commented, discretely pointing out the blonde to Rogue.  
  
Rogue turned to look at the girl, then she broke into a smile. "None, probably," she remarked to Kitty with a impish grin. Before Kitty could answer that, Rogue stepped forward to sweep the little blonde into a hug, crying out "Raven!"  
  
"Curses, foiled again," Raven Darkholme's amused voice said out of the blonde's mouth. "At least I fooled her," she said with a grin to the clearly stunned looking Kitty. The girl stood there a moment longer before shaking off her stupor.  
  
Rogue grinned over at Kitty, "It's an old game we like to play. Raven tries to change into something that can fool me, but somehow I always know it's her." She grinned at the blonde, "It's great to see you, Mom."  
  
Raven blushed a bit, hugging Rogue back fiercely. "You, too," she said to her simply. She then looked curiously over at Kitty, "I was a little bit surprised to see you waiting here with the welcome wagon, though."  
  
Kitty blushed, smiling shyly. "Rogue's my..." Kitty started, only to chicken out, "best friend, so I wanted to be here for her."  
  
"We'll get your bags, Mom, you head for the parking lot. We've got a black Jeep waiting for you," Rogue said cheerfully.  
  
Raven walked a few steps, then something made her stop and turn around. Rogue and Kitty reached out and took each others hands as they walked together to the luggage carousel. 'Well, isn't that interesting,' a smiling Raven thought to herself. Finding a suitably concealed place. she returned to her usual dark hared look, and then went to meet them at the jeep.  
  
Rogue chuckled softly as she took Kitty's hand comfortingly. "Do you want me to be the one to tell her?" Rogue offered.  
  
"I can't believe I froze like that," Kitty sighed. She looked over at Rogue curiously, "Do you think she'll mind that your a lesbian?"  
  
"She used to give me some trouble for dating Gambit, but I think that was just the regular 'parent and no-good son-in-law' problems," Rogue ruefully explained to Kitty. She laughed softly as she added, "When we had our little birds and the bees talk, Raven and Irene were careful to point out to me that the girl birds do end up liking the other girl birds, sometimes, and that it was perfectly all right if it happened to me."  
  
Kitty got the mental image of a much younger Rogue getting that kind of lecture from the two older ladies, and just had to laugh at it.  
  
"What's so funny?" Raven asked as the two neared the Jeep she was leaning against. Kitty blushed and slipped her hand out of Rogue's grip.  
  
"The birds and the bees talk," Rogue explained to her cheerfully. She looked sideways at Kitty, "I was just telling my lover here about what you told me."  
  
Kitty, if it was possible, blushed even redder. She tried to find something, anything, to say, only to finally give up and take Rogue's hand, their matching rings glimmering in the golden light of the setting sun.  
  
Raven looked at them steadily a moment, then she stepped forward to place a hand on each of their shoulders. "I'm glad for you," she said, smiling at them widely. She startled them both by pulling them into a fierce hug!  
  
"Thanks, Mom," Rogue said to her quietly. They pulled back, and Rogue was surprised to see a few tears in Raven's eyes.  
  
Raven looked over at Kitty. "Now you treat my daughter well," she said, half mock lecture, half seriously. Kitty just nodded to her gravely, and Raven grinned. After a few passerby gave them some odd looks, a smiling Raven said, "Let's hit the road before we're busted for public indecency or something."  
  
Rogue took the wheel, Raven rode shotgun and Kitty took the backseat, sticking her head up between the seats to stay in the conversation. Kitty smiled at Raven shyly, "I hope you approve of me being with Rogue."  
  
"I wondered about the two of you, when you came to rescue me in Germany," Raven admitted, giving Kitty a shrewd look. "Where you involved back then?"  
  
"I'd thought about it," Rogue admitted, something that she hadn't even told Kitty before. The girl in question looked honestly surprised.  
  
"You might have told me something," Kitty said with a little laugh.  
  
Raven reached back to pat a surprised Kitty on the shoulder. "It happens, believe me." She smiled a bit, "I wasn't even aware that Irene shared my feelings for a long time." She smiled to herself a little sadly, remembering the young, cocky consulting detective she had been, silently in love with the aristocratic lady, Irene Alder.  
  
"Mom," Rogue asked her softly, "have you been... seeing anyone lately?"  
  
Raven rolled her eyes violently. She then smiled wryly over at Kitty, "Here comes the 'You should put your grief aside and embrace love once again' speech," she said with a little groan.  
  
Kitty snickered, getting a glare from Rogue.  
  
"I'm serious, mom," Rogue protested. "Irene wouldn't have wanted you to grieve for her forever," she said softly.  
  
"Prison isn't the best place to meet people, unless it's the nice girl in the next cell over," Raven pointed out to her reasonably.  
  
"She's does have a point," Kitty observed, and Rogue sighed.  
  
"Where exactly are we going, anyway?" Raven asked her daughter curiously, trying hard to change the subject.  
  
"Time for the good news and the bad news," Kitty said with a cheerful smile, sounding almost like a perky tour guide. "The good news is that the beach safehouse has been aired out, and we've prepared a room for you right beside our own."  
  
"And the bad news?" a suddenly suspicious Raven asked her pointedly. Kitty faltered a bit, so Rogue took up the explaination.  
  
"The ground floor rooms are filled with the X-Men," Rogue said to her simply, waiting with a impish smile for her mother's reaction.  
  
Raven quickly looked back and forth between Kitty and Rogue, an really odd expression on her dark face. "Do the other X-men know about my staying there?" she asked them, sounding more than a little dubious.  
  
"Yeah," Kitty answered with a cheery smile, "I think Ororo, at least, is really looking forward to seeing you."  
  
"She'll probably try to recruit you to help us search for Destiny's other diaries," a smiling Rogue said, keeping her eyes on the road ahead. "If you're not interested, just tell her and she'll leave you alone."  
  
"Gee, thanks," Raven answered her dryly. She blushed a bit, remembering an earlier meeting with the X-men's leader.  
  
A mischievous Raven had arranged for them to meet in a gay bar to discuss their business. Destiny had forseen that Rogue was in grave trouble, and Raven had given Storm the information on how she could save her. But it was something else that made the wild night so memorable. Shifting and changing her form, Raven had taunted, teased and flirted with the austure X-man, and strangely Storm had flirted right back! If she hadn't been with Irene then, Raven really wondered what she might have done.  
  
They pulled up to the mansion, the sound alerting someone who awaited within. Storm walked outside and down the steps to the jeep, smiling a bit at Raven. "It's been a long time," the leader of the X-men said with a smile.  
  
Raven gazed at her a moment, a little bit speechless. "It's good to see you," she barely managed to get out.  
  
Kitty and Rogue exchanged thoughtful looks behind her. 


	5. Interlude: Storm in One Wild Night

The Adventures of Shadowcat and Rogue  
  
Interlude: Storm in "One Wild Night"  
  
Ororo Monroe sat by the window seat, gazing outside and not coincidentally at the road out there where their guest would be coming from. She was feeling nervous, an emotion that she rarely let her fellow members of the X-men see.  
  
She got up for a moment, then sat right back down again, afraid of missing her. 'Them,' she quickly corrected herself, 'not her.' She shook her head mournfully, knowing that she was deluding herself. She was sitting here anxiously waiting for one person and one person only: Raven Darkholme, aka Mystique.  
  
They had crossed swords several times over the years, but a more private meeting stubbornly remained in the front of Ororo's mind. Raven had arranged for them to meet in a gay bar, and Storm had been surprised by the crowd's reaction when she walked in.  
  
Storm had been in her leather phase, and the admiring glances she received from the women in the crowd had generated a new, uncomfortable warmth inside her body. A warmth Raven seemed to find a great deal of enjoyment in fanning.  
  
Raven had flirted with her, but more importantly, she had flirted back! Ororo still didn't fully understand what had possessed her as they had sat there, trading verbal barbs. Raven had shifted and changed her appearance, finally mirroring Ororo's own form, but in poses and postures she never would have tried.  
  
'I ran right out of there like a bat out of hell,' Ororo thought with a weary sigh, 'and then right into the supposed safety of poor Forge's arms. What on Earth was I thinking?' She gave another long sigh, and a faint but visible blush colored her cheeks as she thought, 'It's not like I hadn't been with a woman before.'  
  
  
  
Storm and the X-Men had been visiting Japan, to attend the wedding of Logan to his lady love, Mariko of the clan Yashada. The flight over was wonderful, and the reception that night was lovely. But then things started to go seriously wrong. The food they ate was poisoned by a rival of Mariko's for her clan's leadership, leaving only a weakened Storm, Wolverine and Rogue available to find out what was going on and who was responsible. Yuriko, an ally of Logan's joined Storm as she pursued leads on what had happened.  
  
They had been in an alley together, confronted by a group of thugs looking for trouble. The battle was short and sweet, and at Yuriko's urgings she had cut loose, finally released the firm hold she had always retained on her emotions. And it felt wonderful!  
  
Later, Yuriko looked over at the rain drenched X-Man with a wry smile on her handsome face. "If you are going to run with me tonight," she said to her thoughtfully, "you're going to have to look the part."  
  
"What do you mean?" Ororo asked her suspiciously.  
  
"Ororo, there's some places we're going to have to go to get the information we need, that you're going to stand out in like a sore thumb," Yuriko explained to her patiently, a little smile on her face. "So a bit of disguise is in order," she finished.  
  
Yuriko suddenly grinned at her dangerously, grabbed Ororo's arm, and with a laugh quickly pulled the protesting woman into a nearby leather shop.  
  
A few minutes later they came out, and Ororo was transformed. Tight leather pants hugged her from waist to ankle, sliding into black leather boots, and her breasts were barely contained by a strapless leather top. A jacket over that completed the outfit.  
  
Ororo turned and twisted, an odd smile on her beautiful face as her long mane of snow white hair flowed all around her. "You know," she softly admitted, "this is really quite comfortable. I could get used to this."  
  
"It does look pretty good on you," the much slimmer Asian woman said with a thoughtful nod. Frowning, she reached over and tugged on Ororo's long white hair, "But I think some of the hair's got to go, to complete the look.  
  
"Is that really necessary?" Ororo asked Yuriko softly, a frown on her face as well. She had grown out her hair since she was a child, and was reluctant to loose it.  
  
Yuriko gazed at Ororo, and she felt as if the intense young woman was seeing beyond her body, maybe into her very soul itself. "Haven't you ever wanted to just change yourself completely?" she asked her softly. Yuriko added with a small smile, "Hair grows back, but when will this kind of opportunity knock again?"  
  
Ororo gazed at her, wondering at the odd tone the woman was using. 'I don't even know her,' she thought, 'but something makes me want to listen to her.' A deep breath, a brave smile, and "Let's go get it done, then."  
  
Her heart sank low in her chest as the locks of white hair fell on the floor around her, and it was with a great deal of nervousness that she finally looked into the mirror to see what Yuriko had ordered the pretty young hairstylist to do. A bold white crest rose above her head, curving a bit, and a long tail snaked down her back. She looked both exotic and exiting, something Ororo wouldn't have normally though herself to be.  
  
Yuriko looked at her, a faint flush on her pale cheeks. "It looks great, Ororo," she said softly, reaching out to gently stroke along the bare side of her head, then up to feel the crest. The soft, delicate touch felt like sweet fire on the newly bare skin, and Ororo shuddered involuntarily, fighting to regain some of her control.  
  
"Where to next?" Ororo asked her softly.  
  
Yuriko seemed about to say something, then she visibly stopped herself. "There's some bars on the docks we'll check first," she said softly, as they walked together down the street, soaking in the gazes of the admiring passerby.  
  
The next few hours passed by in a blur, Yuriko and Ororo visiting club after club together, using either force or charm as needed to piece together their enemy's plans. After a few false leads they had gathered enough of the information to see the shape of the Silver Samurai and Viper's plans, and how to best go about stopping them.  
  
"Where are we going now?" Ororo asked her companion a bit wearily. They went up a small flight of stairs to a door, which Yuriko unlocked to led her in. The apartment was tiny and bare, only the essentials there for the resident: a flat mattress on the floor, a pillow and a radio. The only decoration was a print hanging on one wall.  
  
"Grab a seat," Yuriko said calmly, taking a bottle of sake from the fridge. "We've got a bit of time before the Samurai and Viper move," she said as she retrieved two small cups, "let's make the most of them."  
  
"What do you mean?" Ororo asked, and Yuriko turned to give her a considering look. She took a short step and was beside her, pushing Ororo back on the mat.  
  
Yuriko kissed Ororo intensely, only breaking the kiss to say, "I've wanted to do that since before the haircut."  
  
"But I've never, and I barely know you" Ororo started to stammer out, when Yuriko gently shushed her, a finger on her lips. She lay on top of her, gazing down into Ororo's bright blue eyes, seeking something in them, and finding it.  
  
"We may both die tomorrow," Yuriko said it calmly, without fear. "The odds are against us, and we've few allies we can rely on. So tonight," she said with a certain intensity, "I want to be alive, to live life fully. Will you help me do that?"  
  
Ororo looked up into those dark eyes, and felt that same wildness she had discovered back in the alley. She wanted this, to release all of her control, so instead of answering with inadequate words, Ororo stretched up to kiss her back.  
  
  
  
Storm smiled to herself, continuing to look outside. She had never told the X-Men what had happened to her that night. She rather suspected that Wolverine knew, but he was the sort of man not to intrude on another's privacy.  
  
Kitty was shocked at Storm's new look, a reaction she really should have expected. It took them a while to return to their previous relationship, and things still weren't quite the same. Privately, Ororo suspected that Kitty had actually seen her mother figure as a sexual person for the first time, and that it had disturbed her greatly.  
  
She and Yuriko had never repeated the experience. They had known it was a one time thing that neither of them could give up their own way of life for the other. She had to admit, she'd been greatly tempted, though.  
  
It really was one wild night!  
  
Much later, the X-Men had faced a deadly trap, which ensnared a person in their own heart's desire. Storm was rather surprised that her's was Tokyo, and spending another wild night with Yuriko. She had resisted, but had barely escaped unscathed. "The closest of calls," she had said to Logan later, "the narrowest of escapes. I doubt I could do so again."  
  
A jeep came around the corner, to pull into a gentle stop out front. Rogue got out, then Raven, and finally Rogue, quite gentlemanly, helped Kitty out. 'I guess it's time,' Storm thought to herself with a little smile as she smoothly got up off the couch. Storm walked outside and down the steps to the jeep, smiling a bit at Raven.  
  
"It's been a long time," Storm said to her with a friendly smile on her face. 


	6. Back to Basics

Part Four  
  
Psylocke stopped Kitty as they escorted Mystique in. "Could I talk to you a moment?" Elizabeth asked her quietly. Kitty gulped, and nodded.  
  
"Rogue, I'll meet you in a few minutes," Kitty called to her. Rogue waved, Storm and Mystique on either side of her.  
  
Kitty and Psylocke walked into the kitchen, where Kitty quickly took the offensive. Bowing, she said "Elizabeth, I'm really sorry for interfering with you fight with Vargas. I know you wanted to take him on, and I'm sure Rogue really appreciated the help, but.."  
  
Psylocke held up a hand, an amused smile on her face, "Kitty, it's all right! I just wanted to thank you for maybe saving my life." She grinned a bit, adding, "But if you really must apologize, I certainly won't stop you."  
  
Kitty blushed brightly, looking downwards and unsure of what to say. "You're welcome," Kitty said with a wry smile.  
  
"I don't think I've ever seen you fight like that," Psylocke said softly, "he was totally outmatched. How did you do that?"  
  
Kitty just shrugged a bit uncomfortably, "I guess I've never had someone I loved in that kind of mortal danger before."  
  
Vargas had attacked the X-men without warning, ambushing the team with his two aides. Distracting part of the team, he pursued Rogue with a vengeance, his sword a precision instrument in his hands. Psylocke intervened, crossing her psionic blades with the mysterious, dark hared warrior, but Kitty quickly realized that Elizabeth was outmatched by this physical wonder. As Vargas was about to deliver a killing blow, Kitty intervened.  
  
For what might have been the first time in her life, Kitty fought an enemy without any of her self-imposed restraints, knowing that Rogue and Psylocke would likely die if he was able to defeat her. She called upon all the combat skills Wolverine had worked so hard to develop in her, and then she combined it with a savagery that she had never experienced before. Finally realizing that he might be in serious danger, Vargas withdrew, taking his allies with him.  
  
Psylocke took a half step back from where Kitty stood, falling down to one knee. In perfectly clear Japanese she asked her, "Sensei, would you take this unworthy one as your student?"  
  
Kitty looked at her in shock and disbelief, "What?"  
  
"There goes the smooth approach," Psylocke sighed softly. She gave Kitty a wry smile as she explained, "It's obvious that you've become a better fighter than I am. If Vargas attacks again, I want to be ready for him."  
  
Kitty sighed, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "You should really go to Wolverine," Kitty said, sounding a bit desperate.  
  
"I don't think so," Psylocke said, shaking her head a bit, "you may have even surpassed him." At Kitty's disbelieving look, she elaborated "Despite all that Logan's learned about fighting over the years, he's still a brawler at heart. You've taken all he taught you, mixed it with your ninja training, and made it your own."  
  
Kitty looked at Psylocke steadily, and realized that she meant what she said. Kitty sighed wearily, "OK, I'll do it. But on one condition." Psylocke looked at Kitty enquiringly, and Kitty added "Rogue gets to sit in on our training sessions."  
  
Elizabeth frowned, "Why?"  
  
"Because I don't want my girlfriend getting jealous," Kitty explained with a fierce blush. Elizabeth broke into quiet laughter, even as Kitty blushed harder.  
  
"When do we start?" Elizabeth asked eagerly.  
  
Kitty smiled, "Six AM tomorrow morning, I think." She sighed, "Rogue is not going to be happy about this."  
  
"Thank you," Elizabeth said with a smile and a respectful bow before she left. Kitty stood there, still mildly stunned by Elizabeth's actions, for a few moments, then went upstairs.  
  
  
  
Raven looked over at Ororo thoughtfully, "So you and your merry band are chasing Destiny's diaries, Wind Rider?"  
  
"Yes," Ororo said with a nod, sitting with Rogue as Raven began to unpack her bags. They had both offered to help, but she wanted to do it herself.  
  
"Now, here comes the important question," Raven said, looking up to give her a piercing look, "do you intend to use them?"  
  
"No," Rogue spoke up calmly. Storm gave her an odd look, but nodded her agreement.  
  
"Why not?" Raven said with a bit of honest surprise in her voice. She had devoted half her life to following one of the diaries, and she couldn't imagine not using them.  
  
"The diaries may tell the future," Rogue said with a shrug, "but I'd rather live my life without them, and at least keep the illusion of free will."  
  
"Very eloquent," Raven noted thoughtfully, even as she began to digest what Rogue had said. It made a lot of sense to her.  
  
Rogue shrugged uncomfortably, "It's hanging around Pryde, probably. She's a good influence on me."  
  
Storm kneeled forward, "I don't intend to leave the diaries in the hands of our enemies, the damage they could do is immense. But I don't think any human is wise enough or capable enough to use them to shape the future."  
  
"I certainly learned that lesson," Raven sighed softly. She shook her self, and looked up to meet Ororo's gaze again, those striking blue eyes.  
  
"The past is the past," Ororo said gently. She stood up, and actually smiled at Raven as she said, "I'll leave you two to catch up."  
  
Kitty smiled at Ororo as she passed her, then headed into Raven's new room. Rogue was in the process of asking her mother, "What's the story between you two?"  
  
Raven rolled her eyes. "There's no story," she insisted.  
  
Kitty chuckled softly. "The way you two acted outside says otherwise," she pointed out with a sly grin on her face.  
  
"Your girlfriend is far too perceptive," Raven groused to Rogue, who just grinned at her cheerfully. She began to stuff socks into a empty dresser drawer as she reluctantly said, "We, well, we flirted once, a long time ago."  
  
"Oh ho!" Rogue chuckled softly, "Flirting! Now we're getting somewhere. But details! We want details!"  
  
"Next thing I know, you'll be wanting a bedtime story," Raven sighed.  
  
Rogue smirked as she said, "Nah, I have Kitty for that." Raven gave Kitty a look, and noticed the brown girl blushing fiercely.  
  
Kitty noticed that Raven was looking a bit put upon, so she put her hand on Rogue's shoulder to gently guide her out of the room. "C'mon, love, we'd better let her finish unpacking," Kitty said gently. She sighed as something else occurred to her, "Besides, I better explain why we'll be having a six AM wake up call for a bit."  
  
Rogue was following Kitty out while asking her plaintively, "Why do I have to be up then?" Raven watched them go with a great deal of amusement.  
  
Raven finished her unpacking before sitting down on the edge of her bed. She thought about the look on Storm's face when they met, the nervousness she had been feeling. 'Not a good sign,' she thought with a little smile.  
  
  
  
Elizabeth was dressed in her battle costume, looking agile and ready for anything. Rogue sat on a desk chair, while Kitty only wore a sweatshirt and shorts. Kitty stretched her body, giving Psylocke a cheery smile.  
  
"All right, I want you to attack me," Kitty said seriously, "summon your psychic blades and come at me all out, all right?"  
  
The glowing katana's appeared in Elizabeth's hands, pure telekinetic energy as powerful as her will could make them. "Are you sure?" Elizabeth asked.  
  
Kitty gave her a small wave, "Lets's go."  
  
"You asked for it," Elizabeth answered, and charged, blades ready. In less time than it takes to tell she found herself laying flat on her back, Kitty's foot resting gently on her throat.  
  
"Lesson one," Kitty said, helping Elizabeth up to her feet, "is that you rely on the blades too much. You haven't really worked them into your fighting style, either."  
  
Elizabeth rubbed at her throat, giving Kitty an even more respectful look than she had before. She nodded a bit ruefully, "You make that look so easy."  
  
"It's not, trust me," Kitty said with a grin. She looked Elizabeth over thoughtfully, adding, "You shouldn't be so out of breath, either."  
  
"I haven't been training as much, since we left the other X-teams," Psylocke admitted.  
  
"I guess we start with the basics," Kitty said thoughtfully, "then we'll figure out a way for you to use those blades better." She turned to ask Rogue what she thought, and noticed her girlfriend had fallen back asleep in the deck chair.  
  
Elizabeth and Kitty shared a impish smile, before each of them took one end of the deck chair and carried it over to the shoreline, just at the edge of the rising water. Kitty led Elizabeth off on a jog, and a few moments later they headed back, just as the water reached Rogue's feet.  
  
Rogue woke up with an incoherent squawk as she was suddenly soaked to the waist by a playful wave. "Pryde!" she roared, getting to her feet. Kitty and Elizabeth stood together, catching their breaths from the run and laughing softly. 


	7. Hit the Beach!

Part Five  
  
The sun was shining, the breeze was gentle, and the beaches were white after last night's sudden rain storm. And the X-Men were taking a well deserved day off.  
  
It all started in the living room, where Rogue, Kitty and Elizabeth had just returned from their morning work out. Elizabeth had flopped down in a chair and groaned softly.  
  
Rogue walked into the kitchen, grumbling under her breath about crazy ladies who felt the need to beat each other up so damn early in the morning. Kitty, of course, was bright eyed and bushy tailed, gaining a glare from almost everyone just getting up.  
  
"God, the beach was nice this morning," Kitty said with a happy sigh. She looked thoughtful, "Hey, why don't we all go down to the beach, today?"  
  
Elizabeth waved a hand weakly, "She's probably just looking for someone different to beat up today." With a theatrical groan, she cried, "Don't do it!"  
  
Neal laughed softly, standing behind Elizabeth and gently rubbing her shoulders. She closed her eyes and gave a soft sigh of contentment.  
  
Rogue was frowning a bit, "You know, we really haven't taken advantage of the closeness of the beach. I agree with Pryde, let's hit the beach!"  
  
"It's not a bad idea," Ororo admitted, "we could certainly use a break." Raven had been silently sipping her coffee so far, so she asked her, "Would you like to come along?"  
  
Raven looked a bit startled to be asked, "Yes, if no one minds."  
  
Rogue grinned suddenly, "Can I pick out your swimsuit?"  
  
"Oh, no," Raven quickly said. She got some inquiring looks from the other X-men, and with a soft laugh she elaborated, "Last time I let her do that she put me in a thong bikini, for gods sake!"  
  
"I bet you looked good in it," Ororo said with a mysterious little smile. She noticed Sage stumbling in, hair sticking up and dressed in her pajamas, and added, "By the way Sage, you're going to the beach with us, too."  
  
"What?" Sage answered, nearly dropping her coffee cup.  
  
"You could use the sun," Bishop noted with a grin. He was dressed to go, "Sorry I can't tag along, but I've got to keep an appointment with the police department."  
  
"Did somebody catch you?" Neal said with a little smile.  
  
"No, nobody caught me," Bishop said, rolling his eyes, "I'm setting up a new cover identity as Lucas Bishop, Interpol officer. I'll have to see you all sometime this evening." He headed off, and the other X-men split up to start getting ready.  
  
  
  
Raven Darkholme smiled slightly, laying down on the beach, the sun beating down on her. Her brown hair swept past her shoulders, stylish sunglasses concealed her eyes and her skin was already lightly tanned. She noticed the admiring glances of several men and woman passing by, but there was only one person she really wanted to get the attention of.  
  
The bikini Ororo was wearing was legal, but only just barely. Pure black, it was a daring number, consisting of a skimpy top and bottom that anyone with any body modesty at all would avoid like the plague. It was obviously a weapon of the seduction variety, and poor Kitty was still blushing a bit, just looking at her.  
  
"When are they going to do something?" Kitty asked Rogue in a irritated tone of voice. She continued, "They've been dancing around each other all week."  
  
Rogue turned over so that her back was exposed to the sun. "Could you put some lotion on me, honey?" Rogue asked Kitty sweetly, trying to distract her from the topic.  
  
The little bikini Rogue was wearing left her bottom mostly exposed to Kitty's suddenly eager gaze. "Sure," Kitty said softly, rubbing some lotion between her hands and then going to work on Rogue's backside, thoroughly protecting it from the sun.  
  
Watching this, Elizabeth chuckled softly, even as Neal lotioned her back, too. She hissed loudly, as Neal pressed down on her side a bit too hard.  
  
"Sorry," Neal apologized, "was that another bruise?" Elizabeth nodded wearily, and Neal remarked, "Kitty must be a harsh taskmaster."  
  
"You have no idea," Elizabeth softly sighed. "It's even scarier to realize that she was holding back on the first day she trained me," she said with a wry smile.  
  
Neal shook his head, wondering if his girlfriend had some kind of masochistic streak. He had watched one of their training sessions, and it had seemed quite simple. Kitty demonstrated a move, and then she asked Elizabeth to use it. If she got it right, Kitty ended up on the ground. If she got it wrong, Elizabeth usually ended up on the ground instead. It certainly seemed to help her remember the next time, but still...  
  
Sage watched the group silently, laying back in her one-piece suit, her black sunglasses completely concealing her watching eyes. Her mind worked tirelessly, sorting, analyzing, even as she relaxed under the warm rays of the sun.  
  
"You should really be mingling more with the others," Ororo said, taking a moment to kneel down beside the dark hared woman.  
  
"And you should probably be over talking to Raven," Sage answered her with a little smile. She noted with some amusement that is was possible to see Ororo blush, if you were attentive enough. Changing the subject, Sage quietly said, "I was reading through our volume of Destiny's Diary, and I've noticed some irregularities."  
  
Instantly back in business mode, Storm asked "What do you mean?"  
  
"There are differences between what's been happening in the real world and what's written down in the Diary," Sage said very quietly, so that the other X-men couldn't hear them. She added calmly, "It's not a large difference just yet, but I do suspect that it will grow over time."  
  
"How is that possible?" Storm asked. Frowning fiercely she asked, "I thought Destiny's power was to see the future?"  
  
"A most probable future," Sage corrected her, "but improbable things can happen, sometimes. Something you might never be able to predict."  
  
"So something improbable happened, creating a divergence from what Destiny predicted," Storm said softly. Sage just nodded a bit in reply. "You know what the divergence is, don't you?" Storm said more than asked.  
  
"Them," Sage said, nodding to where Kitty and Rogue lay, "there's no mention of them being together in the Diary at all." She finished softly, "Any event predicted in the diaries involving us or Rogue is now up for grabs."  
  
"But our enemies don't know that yet," Storm finished.  
  
"They'll continue to go after the Diaries," Sage agreed, "and some of the predictions in them will still be valid. Just not all."  
  
Storm nodded. "Nothing we can do about it today," she said, sighing softly, "but we'll have to keep it in mind." With a small smile she admitted, "Personally, I rather like being free of prophecy."  
  
A young woman jogged up the beach towards them, her long blond hair swinging around her. She was obviously athletic, and wore the swimsuit of a lifeguard. "Have either of you seen a ten year old boy?" she quickly asked them.  
  
"I'm sorry, but no," Ororo answered, looking around them for a moment curiously Gazing out over the water, her eyes widened as she saw something in the distance. "Is that someone out there?" she asked her, pointing.  
  
The blond turned, her eyes narrowed, and she cursed softly. She ran to the water, diving in and swimming out with a smooth, well practiced motion. As she swam, she began to glow softly.  
  
Sage's eyes widened, "She's changing," she said softly to Storm, "adapting to the water!"  
  
Storm frowned, she hated just standing here watching, but using her weather powers in a situation like this could make things much, much worse. She pointed to another figure swimming to the boy, "Who's that out there?"  
  
Raven willed herself to change, letting her body become slick, cutting through the water smoothly. "I can't believe I'm doing this," she grumbled to herself. But she still swam onward, finally reaching the boy's side. He flailed around wildly, but she managed to get a grip on him.  
  
He seemed a bit startled at her blue colored skin, so she willed herself to a more human form. Keeping his head above the water, she calmed him down even as she saw a flash of gold approaching her. The blonde came up by Raven, trading water with a little smile on her face. Before either of them could say anything, the were swamped by a massive wave.  
  
The lifeguard's body blazed golden a moment, then she pulled them all from the water on golden wings. Raven gaped at her a moment, then managed, "I'm impressed."  
  
They reached the shore in seconds, descending into the X-Men's midst. "Mom, you all right?" Rogue cried out, running to Raven's side.  
  
"I'm fine," Raven assured her, then she turned to the lifeguard, "Is he all right?"  
  
"He's fine," she said with a smile. "That was a good job, by the way. My name's Heather Cameron," she said, offering her hand to her.  
  
"Raven Darkholme," she said, taking the hand and shaking it. Ororo looked at her, her eyes full of questions, and Raven shrugged at her eloquently. She had no idea why she did it either.  
  
The young boy was quickly claimed by a frantic mother, but not before he softly thanked Raven and Heather for what they had done. Raven blushed, stammered, and in no way did she look like the former evil mutant she was.  
  
They gathered up the beach a bit to talk. "You're a mutant, are you not?" Ororo quietly asked Heather, curious to hear what her answer might be. And wondering if she had met another new recruit already.  
  
"I'm just Lifeguard," she answered Ororo simply, "whatever ability or form I need to save someone's life, I can somehow gain."  
  
The introductions quickly began, and Kitty noticed something rather odd. Sage seemed to hang back shyly from the tall blond woman. Kitty stepped up behind her, and when the time was right, gave her a firm shove.  
  
Sage stumbled, falling forward against Heather, who gently caught her. She smiled down at Sage gently, helping her straighten up before asking her "And what's your name?"  
  
"I'm called Sage," she answered her softly. Heather gently tugged down on Sage's sunglasses, revealing her dark eyes.  
  
"It's nice to meet you, Sage," Heather said to her with a small smile. 


	8. Out on the town

Part Six  
  
Raven Darkholme calmly watched Ororo Monroe walk into her bedroom, carrying something black in her hands. "Yes," she answered Ororo with a little smile on her face, having expected to hear a question from her for at least a week.  
  
Ororo put the black uniform down, chuckling softly. "You might wait until I've actually asked you the question," she pointed out with a smile. "I could be here," she said, her eyes meeting hers, "to ask you to marry me or something,"  
  
She smiled up at Ororo as Raven teasingly said, "I don't think I would be terribly bothered by that possibility."  
  
Ororo blushed a bit, she was still not quite used to her teasing ways. "Would you like to join the X-men?" she asked Raven formally.  
  
Raven got up, gently taking the costume into her hands. "I'd be honored," she answered her with a smile, adding, "Now I have a question for you."  
  
"And that would be?" Ororo asked, as Raven paused.  
  
"Would you like to go out with me this evening?" Raven asked her softly.  
  
  
  
Davis Cameron grinned up at her as his sister paced the large apartment they shared the rent on. "And you asked her out right then and there?" the sandy hared young man asked her with a delighted smile on his face.  
  
The tall blonde pushed her hair back, stopping to frown as she looked in the mirror. Heather Cameron sighed, letting it fall back down her back again, "Yeah, she was just so... cute." She sighed again, adding ruefully, "Too bad she invited her friends along."  
  
"So her friends, they're all mutants, too? That's kind of cool," Davis said with a smile. 'It'll be nice if she can makes some friends she can be more open with,' he thought.  
  
"Yeah," she smiled slightly, "their branch of the X-men is planning to stay in Australia." She paused, "I'm not quite sure how I feel about that."  
  
He raised his eyebrow, flopping down into a nearby chair. "So what's the problem with that?" he asked her curiously.  
  
"Considering all the fights superheroes get into," she said to him dryly, "having them hanging around here might be a bit of a mixed blessing." She sighed, "I could end up being even more busy as Lifeguard, not less."  
  
"Or they may just be a big help," Davis pointed out. "You know, things might turn out better than you think," and he grinned, "Besides, you already told me one was cute."  
  
"Yeah, she is," Heather sighed, a dreamy smile on her face. She got an odd look on her face, "Don't change the subject!"  
  
He laughed, getting up to leave the room. "You better start getting ready to go," he advised her with a smile. "I won't wait up for you," he added over his shoulder.  
  
Heather sighed, rummaging through her closet. "I won't wait up for you," she echoed him mockingly, "like that's likely."  
  
  
  
Kitty sat cross-legged on the bed, watching Sage with a great deal of amusement. "So we're coming along as, what? Your chaperones?" she asked her with a impish little smile.  
  
"Don't tease me about this, please," Sage quietly said. "I still have no idea what possessed me to say yes in the first place," she sighed.  
  
"The fact that she's so beautiful probably didn't hurt," Rogue pointed out. She looked over at Sage curiously, "Have you ever been out with a woman before?"  
  
"Occasionally," Sage admitted, absentmindedly sorting out the clothes she had planned to wear tonight, "Emma Frost, the White Queen, liked to play for the other team sometimes."  
  
Kitty was instantly struck by a remarkably clear image of the white leather clad Emma with Sage, and with a soft groan she put her head in her hands. "I now have a mental image of you I never, ever wanted," Kitty sighed.  
  
"You asked her," Rogue said reasonably. She looked over at Sage, "Is Heather coming to get you here, or are we meeting her somewhere?"  
  
"I retained enough sense to ask her to meet us downtown," Sage said dryly. "I still can't believe I'm doing this," she said, shaking her head.  
  
Kitty looked up and noticed that there was someone lurking by the doorway. "Excuse me," Kitty said to Rogue and Sage, getting up and walking out into the hallway. Ororo lurked there, looking distinctly nervous.  
  
"How's Sage doing?" Ororo asked Kitty somewhat distractedly.  
  
"We're managing to prevent any actual panic," Kitty said with a smile. She looked at Ororo worriedly, "Is something wrong?"  
  
"Raven asked me out," Ororo said with a little smile.  
  
Kitty grinned as she declared, "It's about time!" She stuck her head back in the room to tell them loudly, "Sage, Raven finally asked Ororo out!" Ororo made frantic shushing motions with her hands, blushing brightly.  
  
"Who won the betting pool?" Rogue asked Sage curiously.  
  
"Bishop," Sage sighed, "he bet on this week."  
  
"You were betting on this?" Ororo said, an odd look on her face.  
  
"Too bad you didn't hold off for another week," Kitty sighed dramatically, "I put a bet down in your name for then."  
  
"I could always ask Raven to put it off for a week," Ororo said dryly. She shook her head, "I just wanted to warn you we may be running into each other, downtown."  
  
Rogue chuckled, "Looks like things will be getting a bit crowded."  
  
Kitty looked curious, "What are you wearing?"  
  
Ororo obviously hadn't thought much about that. "I suppose my regular things?" she said, making it a question.  
  
Kitty sighed loudly. "On your first date?" she asked her disbelievingly. Kitty shook her head, calling back into the room, "Rogue, you stay to help Sage, I'll go take care of Ororo." The two could hear them both still talking as they went down the hallway, and by the sound of it Kitty was getting increasingly exasperated with Ororo's answers.  
  
Sage smiled, shaking her head. "They really do seem like a mother and daughter," she commented thoughtfully. She looked over at Rogue, "How are things with you and Raven?"  
  
Rogue looked a bit surprised at Sage's interest. "Not bad," she said cautiously, "we've always tried to maintain good relations despite whatever might be going on. But now that she's my teammate, it's a bit odd."  
  
"Do you think she's seriously interested in Ororo?" Sage asked, sounding honestly concerned about her.  
  
'Of course, Storm's the one she's closest to. Does she think Raven's a rival?' Rogue found herself wondering. "I think she's serious," Rogue answered honestly. Trying to change the subject, she asked her "Have you decided what to wear?"  
  
A faint blush appeared on Sage's cheeks. She seemed to become younger, somehow, as she held up a black dress against her front, "Do you think this looks good?"  
  
Kitty passed Elizabeth and Neal in the hallway, both of them dressed to the nines. "We're going out while we have the chance," Neal explained with a smile.  
  
"Don't worry," Elizabeth quickly reassured Kitty, "I won't over do things."  
  
Kitty chuckled, "Elizabeth, go have some fun. We'll skip a day, you're progressing nicely and you could use a break."  
  
"Thank you, sensei," Elizabeth said with a respectful nod.  
  
"I'll never get used to that," a blushing Kitty muttered to Ororo softly, who just laughed at her softly in reply.  
  
  
  
Heather looked at her watch nervously. Her long golden hair flowed over her shoulders, highlighting her blue eyes. A white blouse was tucked into a pair of blue dress pants, giving her a casual but sexy look.  
  
The jeep came around the corner, rumbling to a stop not far from her. Rogue jumped down to help Kitty out, they both were dressed in... something or other, but Heather found that she only had eyes for Sage.  
  
The black hair had been let down, reaching the pale white shoulders. A black, slinky dress hugged the slim but shapely form, and she moved with a smooth elegance. The eyes were still hidden behind the red shades, but a slight smile teased her lips.  
  
Sage's eyes widened as she took in the busty, athletic form of Heather Cameron, not much obscured by her choice of clothing. She tried to swallow, finding her throat strangely tight, and smiled up at the taller woman.  
  
"Thank you, for inviting me out," Sage said softly.  
  
Heather smiled down at her, "The pleasure's all mine." She gentlemanly offered Sage her arm, and with a shy smile Sage took it. They walked into the classy restaurant together, seemingly lost in each other's eyes.  
  
"They completely forgot about us," Kitty said, not sounding offended, but instead rather amused by it all.  
  
Rouge laughed, "I guess that means our services aren't needed, then." She gave Kitty a smile, "Want to go out dancing, instead?"  
  
"Sounds like a plan," Kitty said, climbing back into the jeep.  
  
A sports car cruised by them, Raven driving with a cool competence, Ororo leaning back in the passenger seat with a smile. The two gave them a cheery wave, and found themselves completely ignored, yet again.  
  
"Is that Kitty and Rogue back there?" Raven asked with a sly smile.  
  
"Looks like it," Ororo sighed. "Maybe if we ignore them, they'll just go away?" she suggested to her with a smile.  
  
Raven shifted gears, and blushed softly as Ororo gently lay her hand on top of hers. She looked over, and tried not to look down the leather top she was wearing. With the skintight leather pants and her long white hair, Ororo was almost heart-stopping.  
  
Ororo let her hand linger on Raven's, stroking the soft skin gently. She stretched, and had to fight back a smile as Raven visibly gulped. The other woman was almost classically butch, a black dress jacket and matching pants with a white shirt underneath completing the look.  
  
"So where are we going?" Ororo asked her curiously.  
  
"A little place I discovered the last time I was here," Raven said softly. They pulled into what looked almost like a residential area, up a driveway to a cleverly hidden parking lot.  
  
The building looked like a mansion, but it was obviously converted to a commercial venture. They walked up to the main doors, passing the only sign the place had: a simply designed "The Rose." Raven opened the door, gesturing Ororo to go first, then she followed her in.  
  
"Welcome to the Rose," a pretty blond hared young woman said with a smile.  
  
"Party of two, under Darkholme," Raven said with a smile.  
  
"Yes, ma'am, we have your reservation," she said pleasantly. She picked up two menus and led them to a corner table, poured them each a glass of water and left them in peace.  
  
"Quite the place," Ororo said, looking around her curiously. The tables were all very private, fabric draping concealing each diner from the others. The ceiling was vaulted, and there was a painting on the roof. Ororo squinted to see it better, and suddenly blushed.  
  
Raven looked up too, then she chuckled softly. "Sorry, I should have warned you," she said, gesturing to the erotic paintings. "This is a former bordello, founded not long after the island officially stopped being a penal colony," she explained with a smile. "The building was abandoned for quite a few years," she smiled, "and now it's a lesbian run restaurant."  
  
"Why do I get the feeling there's more to the story," Ororo said with a chuckle.  
  
"What do you mean?" Raven asked her quite innocently.  
  
"How did you find out about this place?" Ororo asked curiously.  
  
A quiet laugh from nearby, "She helped found it." Ororo turned in her seat to see a smiling older woman, a bit of gray in her hair, but still quite beautiful. "It's good to see you, Raven," the lady said with a smile.  
  
"Jenn, meet Ororo. Ororo, meet Jenn," Raven performed the introductions.  
  
Jenn smiled at Ororo. "Raven saved me and my lover from gaybashers a few years ago," she said with a smile. "We fed her, in thanks, and she suggested we start up a restaurant. After we said we didn't have the money, she provided it!" she said with an eloquent shrug.  
  
"It wasn't so much," Raven said with a blush.  
  
Jenn laughed, "You eat free, tonight." Raven tried to protest, but Jenn just ignored her. She looked thoughtfully between Raven and Ororo, and with a smile added, "And if you want an upstairs room, that's free too."  
  
Raven, if possible, blushed harder. "Upstairs room?" Ororo asked her softly.  
  
"If a couple is getting along particularly well," Raven explained sheepishly, "they can rent a room for the night."  
  
"You never cease to surprise me," Ororo admitted with a blush.  
  
Raven took a breath, "I hope this doesn't surprise you." With that, she leaned across the table to gently kiss Ororo. She drew back, to see her reaction.  
  
"Not at all," Ororo said huskily, and drew her into a kiss herself. A longer, more thorough kiss than before, one that left them breathless.  
  
"You don't really want dinner, do you?" Raven asked, an entreaty clearly apparent in her shaky voice.  
  
"I suppose not," Ororo blushed, taking her hand.  
  
A smiling Raven drew her along until they reached a set of concealed stairs. She took a set of keys from a hook, and gently pulled her upstairs. 


	9. The Best there is

Part Seven  
  
Rogue drove the jeep, while Kitty took the shotgun seat. They cruised downtown for a while, both just enjoying the breeze blowing through their hair. "Hey, there's a club we haven't visited," Kitty pointed.  
  
"Let's go," Rogue smiled, turning into the parking lot. She jumped out first, then gentlemanly helped Kitty down.  
  
"You don't need to do that," Kitty said, sounding obviously pleased that Rogue was.  
  
"I may not have to," Rogue smiled, "But I want to." Offering her arm, she and Kitty walked into the bustling night club together.  
  
It was a fairly mixed crowd, men and women of various types at the bar, sitting at tables, or dancing. The music was pure pop, and a bit of smoke hung in the air. They both felt searching glances as they walked to the bar together.  
  
'I don't think I want to risk booze tonight,' Kitty thought as she ordered a soda.  
  
Rogue ordered a beer, producing a ID when asked, slipping it away with a smile. Carrying the two glasses, she led them over to a corner table, where they both settled down with the drinks.  
  
Finally Kitty just had to ask, "Was that a real ID?"  
  
Rogue just smiled mysteriously and drank her beer. She put her cup down and asked, "Do you want to dance?"  
  
Kitty looked around them nervously, "Are you sure that's a good idea?"  
  
Rogue shrugged, "I think we can handle anything that comes up." She paused, "And I guess I'd like to be as open about loving you as I am about being a mutant."  
  
Kitty sat silent a moment, absorbing those words. "There are times when I wonder if you're not the smart one," Kitty finally said with a smile. She got up and offered Rogue her hand, "Let's dance, then."  
  
Just then, the radio started up another song, "Hero" by Chad Kroeger. The two young women swayed together on the dance floor as the slow song continued on.  
  
Rogue held Kitty close, savoring the feeling of being with her. She looked over Kitty's shoulder, and nearly stopped cold as she saw who was coming. "Kitty, is that who I think it is?" she whispered in Kitty's ear, turning her so she could see.  
  
"Oh hell," Kitty sighed, recognizing at a glance the Asian woman pushing through the crowd towards them. 'What's Lady Deathstrike doing here?' she wondered.  
  
  
  
Sage looked across the table at Heather Cameron, and found herself wondering what she was doing here. 'Because you were foolish enough to say yes when she asked you out,' Sage thought to herself ruefully.  
  
Heather tried not to smile at how nervous Sage was, sitting there. With a gentle smile, Heather asked, "Have you ever been out with a woman before?"  
  
Sage was a bit startled, answering honestly, "Yes, once or twice. Why?"  
  
Heather smiled slowly. "I was wondering if you were just looking for someone to... initiate you, so to speak. Not that I'd mind that very much."  
  
Sage went beet red. "I'm not that inexperienced," she protested.  
  
Heather suddenly smiled, "Good." She looked at Sage across the table and asked her directly, "Have you ever been in love before?"  
  
"Once or twice," Sage answered, falling back on teasing to deal with Heather. 'She's so straight forward and brash,' she thought.  
  
Heather chuckled at that, "Me, too. Unatainables, mostly people who I knew weren't really interested in me, or otherwise involved."  
  
Sage looked across the table, suddenly struck by memories of the Professor. She nodded, admitting "I guess I've done that, too." Her eyes narrowed, 'Is that what I've been doing with Storm, too? I knew she wanted someone else...'  
  
"I guess it's safer," Heather nodded, "no risk of rejection." She paused, "I'm trying not to do that anymore, so if you are unavailable, please tell me now so we can both bail out before any damage is done."  
  
'She's giving me a perfect way out,' Sage blinked, 'tell her I'm in love with someone else, and we're done.' She looked across the table at Heather, opened her mouth to lie and said, "I'm free as a bird."  
  
"I'm glad," Heather smiled, gently covering Sage's hand with her own.  
  
'Why didn't I...' Sage wondered, even as a odd warmth began to spread through her body at the touch of Heather's hand.  
  
  
  
The hand landed on Kitty's shoulder, turning her about and out of Rogue's grip. "Defend yourself," Lady Deathstrike said simply, the fingers of her other hand extending into claw-like blades.  
  
Quickly Kitty offered, "Let's take this outside, shall we?"  
  
Deathstrike met her eyes, then nodded slightly. "Quickly," she said coldly, forging a path through the crowd to the doors.  
  
"What does she want with you?" Rogue asked as they followed her outside.  
  
Kitty sighed, "That's what I'd like to know."  
  
The street was mostly deserted, the sun sinking away and leaving darkness behind it. Kitty took off her jacket to hand to Rogue, while Deathstrike dropped a cloak like coat to the ground. Her arms extended, all ten fingers stretching out into deadly blades.  
  
"What do you want, Deathstrike?" Kitty asked, stretching her hands, rising up then settling down on the balls of her feet. 'This lady normally has a beef with Wolvie,' Kitty thought, 'and had herself changed into a cyborg to take him on evenly.'  
  
"I've come to fight you, Shadowcat," Deathstrike said coolly. "Other than that," she smiled, "it really doesn't matter." With that, she leapt.  
  
'I could phase,' Kitty thought in the moment she had before she reached her, 'it'd fry every circuit in her cyborg body. But it could kill her, too.' She moved smoothly, a half step and a strike, all in one motion. Deathstrike hit the ground with a very satisfying thump.  
  
"Don't you dare play with me," Deathstrike snarled, pulling herself to her feet. "Fight me," she demanded.  
  
"I wouldn't dream of playing," Kitty said softly, taking up her stance again. Her eyes met Rogue's for just a second, silently telling her not to interfere.  
  
Deathstrike leapt for Kitty, and this time Kitty met her mid-air. They tangled a moment, separated, then came together again in a blur of motion.  
  
'I can't believe this,' Rogue thought, watching helplessly from the sidelines, 'Kitty isn't even phasing. She's keeping up with this psycho on pure skill alone!'  
  
There was a cry of pain, and Deathstrike staggered backwards, holding her arm as if it pained her. "How?" she asked hoarsely.  
  
"Some of the circuits pop up as you move," Kitty said, her guard clearly up, "it wasn't hard to use your momentum to tear one free."  
  
Deathstrike looked at her, obviously gritting her teeth at Kitty's calm analysis of the situation. With a incoherent cry she leapt, and Kitty was ready and waiting.  
  
  
  
Ororo relaxed in Raven's arms, taking a moment to rest before they began again. "Do you want something to drink?" Raven smiled, getting up to pad towards the nearby phone.  
  
Raven's blue skin was lightly furred, something Ororo had discovered was quite pleasant when they lay together. It thickened and thinned across her body, nearly completely gone someplace where Ororo expected to be visiting more than a few times tonight.  
  
"Two orange juice, please," Raven ordered, setting the phone down.  
  
She looked over to where Ororo was stretched out on the sheets, looking for all the world like a jungle cat, lounging after the hunt. Her dark skin contrasted wildly with her white hair and blue eyes, making her terribly exotic looking.  
  
"Why juice?" Ororo asked as Raven lay down beside her.  
  
"Well," Raven chuckled, "we do have to keep your strength up." She kissed Ororo teasingly, adding "Mine, too."  
  
"Was it as good as you hoped?" Ororo asked Raven teasingly.  
  
Raven seemed to give it a bit of thought, "No." As Ororo began to look worried Raven smirked, "It was better!"  
  
"Why, you!" With that, Ororo began to tickle Raven, and quickly discovered she was quite sensitive around the ribs!  
  
"He, ha ha, he, no! Stop that!" Raven protested, tears in her eyes. Struggling, the two rolled on the floor, Ororo underneath.  
  
"Ow!" Ororo protested, rubbing her bottom.  
  
"Oh, did that hurt?" a worried Raven asked, then she smiled slightly, "Do you want me to kiss it all better?"  
  
The waitress carried the tray with two orange juices to the door, and knocked gently. Receiving no answer, she pressed her ear to the door. She giggled softly, opened the door a bit and quickly sat the tray on the stand by the door.  
  
She wasn't able to shut the door before hearing a sexy voice, "Let's do that again!"  
  
  
  
Finally, she just ran out of steam. Deathstrike kept charging and attacking, all the while Kitty whittled away at her, little strikes that built up the damage on her opponent. Finally, she got tired and clumsy, and Kitty dropped her with a carefully placed blow.  
  
As she struggled back to wakefulness, she heard them talking. "Why didn't you phase?" Rogue asked softly.  
  
"Because it'd probably kill her," was Kitty's direct answer.  
  
'She didn't phase,' Deathstrike realized, understanding that Kitty had defeated her by pure skill alone. She let them see that she was awake, and Kitty went on guard again. "No," Deathstrike said, holding up her hand, "you have beaten me honorably. It seems that all the stories going around about you are right."  
  
"Stories?" Kitty asked.  
  
"Stories?" Rogue echoed.  
  
"You defeated Vargas," Deathstrike shrugged, "one of the greatest fighters in the world. A Hand master assassin has chosen to become your apprentice. The stories say that you are now the best, and it may even be so." With that, she was gone.  
  
Kitty began to swear softly, even as Rogue looked at her in surprise. "What's wrong? I thought you'd be complimented," she said.  
  
"Think about it," Kitty sighed. "Have you ever wondered why Wolvie gets into so many fights?" she asked.  
  
"His wining personality?" Rogue said dryly.  
  
"That, too," Kitty chuckled. "But in the underground, he's considered to be the best there is at what he does. So if you want to be considered the best, you have to...." she trailed off leadingly.  
  
"Beat him," Rogue finished. Her eyes got wide, "But now Deathstrike says that the word is that you're the best now!"  
  
"Which means all those wackos are going to start coming after me, now," Kitty said grimly. She sighed, "I just hope she heard wrong, or something." 


	10. Out of the Past

Part Eight  
  
They pulled in to the house just in time to see Heather dropping off Sage for the night. She got out of the car and quickly went around to open the door for her, then Heather smoothly helped the shorter woman out. They spoke for a few moments, then Sage went up on tiptoe to kiss the taller blonde gently on the cheek.  
  
Sage was still waving good-bye when she noticed Kitty and Rogue walking towards her with broad smiles on their faces. "So what happened?" Kitty demanded.  
  
"We're going out again later," Sage admitted, blushing slightly. At Rogue's smirk she quickly said defensively, "I'm just trying to cultivate a future X-man."  
  
By the looks on their faces, neither Kitty or Rogue was buying that line. They began to walk together towards the mansion when Rogue wondered aloud, "I wonder how late Ororo and Raven are going to be?"  
  
"Probably quite a lot," Sage noted. She looked over at Kitty and Rogue, "So how was your night out?"  
  
Kitty shrugged casually, "We drank, danced, then I got attacked by Lady Deathstrike."  
  
"What?" Sage looked over at her in surprise.  
  
  
  
Ororo and Raven arrived home in the morning, and walked in on a small meeting going on in the living room. Kitty and Rogue sat on one of the couches, Elizabeth, Neal, Sage and Bishop scattered around the room.  
  
"You're sure that's what she said?" Bishop asked with a frown on his face. He had been absent more often than not the past few days, building up his police identity with the Australian police department.  
  
"Stories going around that I'm the best, yeah," Kitty nodded.  
  
Elizabeth snickered softly, "I can't quite see you growling that out like Logan does."  
  
Kitty rolled her eyes, "Gee, thanks." A bit more serious, "Did you have any luck checking on that rumor with your intelligence contacts?"  
  
"The story's spreading there, too," Elizabeth said.  
  
"Why ask Elizabeth?" Rogue asked Kitty softly. "Couldn't you have called your old teammate, Pete Wisdom?" she asked.  
  
"He started hanging around with X-Force," Kitty answered quietly, "and may have gotten himself killed."  
  
Rogue winced, "Sorry, Kitty. I didn't know."  
  
Kitty smiled, gently patting her hand, "It's OK, love."  
  
"What's going on?" Ororo asked, looking around curiously.  
  
All eyes immediately focused on the pair, taking in the rumpled, slept in clothes. The two stood close together, their stance indicating they really didn't intend to be parted. A bit of a blush touched Ororo's cheeks as they stood there as moment.  
  
"And where were you all night, young lady?" Rogue teased Raven with a cheeky grin.  
  
"The Rose, if you must know," Raven smiled.  
  
"Oh ho!" Rogue exclaimed. Turning to Kitty, "I have got to take you there one night."  
  
Kitty smiled at Ororo, "It seems I've got a little problem." With that, she explained the events of the night before, including what Deathstrike had said.  
  
"Congratulations, Kitty," Ororo smiled.  
  
Raven looked a bit more serious as she offered, "I'll check with my contacts in the underworld, too." Quietly, she added, "I suspect that you may be stuck with it, though."  
  
"Well, let's hope things stay quiet for a while," Rogue said quietly.  
  
  
  
Rogue ducked the punch, but just barely. "Give it up, Shaw!" she growled.  
  
The Hellfire club had landed in Australia. The red and black costumed troops were fighting X-men in downtown Sydney, and the Black King, Sebastian Shaw, was there, too. Rogue did her best to avoid hitting him, even as she dodged his blows. A mutant, Shaw had the ability to absorb the force of any blow, boosting his own strength and invulnerability!  
  
"Give me Tessa," Shaw barked, "and this fight is over, X-Man!"  
  
"Sage is an X-Man, now," Rogue answered him, "and we stand by our own." The black hared businessman was enraged, and Rogue could guess why. As Tessa, Sage had spied on him for years, secretly helping the X-men, and now he wanted revenge. With the help of Lady Mastermind, he was trying to brainwash Sage into serving him once again.  
  
A group of Hellfire troops charged down the street to reinforce the others, when a battered officer staggered out of an alley. "There's a group of X-men stragglers," he reported, "head down there and you can intercept them!"  
  
"Let's go!" the leader of the troops cried out, and led his people down the alley. They emerge on another street, and right in the middle of a police squad.  
  
Bishop and the police quickly surrounded them. "I'd advise surrender," he smiled. The Hellfire troops looked at each other then raised their hands.  
  
The soldier who gave them those instructions smiled and slipped away. The uniform suddenly morphed, and Mystique chuckled softly. "I could get used to this," she said.  
  
Storm smiled, giving her lady love a wave as she rose above the battlefield to get a broader view of the situation. The police, Shadowcat, Mystique and Psylocke were handling the Hellfire army quite efficiently, while Thunderbird and Rogue were engaging Shaw. But that still left Sage in jeopardy. If they had a telepath on the team, Mastermind would be less trouble, but Psylocke had lost those abilities, and Rogue wasn't comfortable with psychic powers.  
  
She suddenly stopped in mid-air as an idea occurred to her. Storm quickly took off, flying at top speed towards the beach.  
  
Lady Mastermind frowned as she studied the motionless Sage. She had been bombarding the X-man's mind with illusions, but so far it had very little effect on her. The woman's mind was quite strong, and well trained in resisting psychic attack.  
  
Mastermind's strategy was quite simple: in the illusions she was distorting Sage's training under Xavier, making it seem much harsher than it had been. Then she manipulated her memories of the Hellfire club, making them seem much more pleasant and appealing.  
  
The problem was, it wasn't working.  
  
Kitty dropped another trooper, even as she kept an eye on the big fight. Rogue kept trying to get in close to drain Shaw's powers, but she wasn't having much look. Thunderbird was using his plasma bolts to try and drive him back, but Shaw seemed to be able to ignore the heat.  
  
Psylocke bobbed and weaved, blades flashing, and several enemies just dropped. 'Kitty's training's really paid off,' she thought with a smile. They were taking down troops by the dozen, and the flow of soldiers had finally begun to lessen. "What next, sensei?" she asked Kitty.  
  
"We check with Bishop to see if the police need any help," Kitty started to say, when they both heard it.  
  
Boom!  
  
Kitty turned just in time to see Rogue hit the building, then crumple to the ground. She lay there, silent and still, then Kitty heard something else. Shaw, laughing.  
  
"Go help Rogue," Kitty instructed Psylocke softly, then she began to walk towards Shaw. Thunderbird hesitated, and she called to him, "Help round up the troops," then more quietly she added, "Shaw is mine."  
  
Kitty reached him, and Shaw looked at her quizzically. "I know I can't hurt you while you're phased," he noted, "but you can't hurt me, either."  
  
"Not quite," Kitty calmly said, then she stuck her hand in his chest. "What many people forget," she said as she calmly rummaged around in his chest, and Shaw's face grew pale, "is that my power also messes up electrical currents."  
  
"What... are you... doing?" Shaw managed to get out, his breathing labored.  
  
"I'm interfering with the nerves in your heart," Kitty said quite conversationally. She clenched her fist, and he spasmed visibly. "I'm only going to say this once," and Kitty's voice was as cold as ice, "get out of Australia, or I'll kill you."  
  
Shaw staggered, as Kitty drew her hand out. He could feel his heart spasming in his chest, his breathing labored. He looked at her, and knew that not only could she kill him, she would. He brought his communicator to his lips. "Hellfire troops, withdrawal," he commanded, then he headed off towards his nearby helicopter. "This isn't over," he vowed to Kitty over his shoulder.  
  
Kitty ignored him, running to where Rogue was being helped to her feet by Psylocke. Rogue was muttering, "Lemme at 'im, I can take him!"  
  
"Sorry, champ," Kitty smiled in relief to see that Rogue was all right, "he took off."  
  
Lady Mastermind frowned, receiving Shaw's signal. 'I wonder if I have enough time to finish the job?' she wondered.  
  
Storm blew the door open, and threw a lightning bolt at her, only to see it harmlessly pass right through Lady Mastermind.  
  
"Sorry, X-man," she smiled, then Lady Mastermind began to disappear, "I'm not even here."  
  
Sage slumped in the chair, her eyes glazed and a bit of drool running from the corner of her mouth. "What's wrong with her?" Heather demanded of Storm. The X-Man had grabbed her off the beach, only saying that Sage was in some kind of danger, but she hadn't been expecting this.  
  
"She's trapped in the illusions," Storm frowned, gently shaking her shoulders.  
  
"You thought this might happen," Heather realized, looking at Storm thoughtfully. "But I don't know if my power can help with something like this," she confessed even as she bent down to Sage's side.  
  
Storm's eyes widened as Heather's body armored up, even as she stiffened like Sage was. They remained there like that a few moments, and Storm began to pace nervously, hoping she had made the right choice bringing Heather there.  
  
A loud gasp, and Heather and Sage relaxed visibly. "Are you all right?' Storm quickly asked them both.  
  
Heather helped Sage up, "I'm fine." She paused, and shaking her head added, "That was a really odd experience."  
  
"Thank you," Sage smiled up at Heather. Something seemed to pass between the two young women, some new bond forming.  
  
"Lets go see if the others need any help," Storm said, leading the two of them out. She rather suspected all that remained was the clean up.  
  
  
  
"Sensei," Elizabeth said as they shared a formal tea, discussing and assessing how they had done in the battle, "did you really mean your threat to kill Shaw?"  
  
Kitty sipped delicately. "Did you know that Shaw's son Shinobi tried to kill him by inducing a heart attack in his father, then blowing him up?" she asked instead.  
  
Elizabeth's eyes widened, "You were playing mind games with him." She shook her head in admiration, "You knew his son had done something similar, and you played on that."  
  
"Yes," Kitty said, "and no. I really was effecting his heart, and I could have done it." With that, she excused her self to see how Rogue was doing.  
  
Elizabeth watched her go thoughtfully. She had known Kitty was an excellent fighter, otherwise she wouldn't have asked her to train her. But she hadn't known Kitty had that degree of ruthlessness as well.  
  
Elizabeth smiled suddenly as another thought occurred to her. 'I wonder how her taking on Shaw that way is going to do to her reputation?' 


	11. Challenges

Part Nine  
  
Kitty groaned, flopping back on the large couch. She and Elizabeth had each taken their turns with the shower and were joining Rogue out in the living room. "I notice Kitty isn't hurting you so bad," Rogue chuckled at Elizabeth.  
  
Elizabeth chuckled, reaching over to rub at her shoulder. "Appearances can be deceiving," she answered her dryly.  
  
"I could always start holding back," Kitty said with a impish smile.  
  
Rogue and Elizabeth exchanged glances. "Not likely!" they both said together in a singsong tone of voice. Kitty stuck her tongue out at them.  
  
"So how are the challenges going?" Elizabeth asked Kitty curiously.  
  
Rogue smirked, and Kitty groaned loudly. "You wouldn't believe all the lame-ass fighters that are coming out of the woodwork," Kitty growled. "I mean, even Toad showed up! Toad!" she grumbled, throwing her hands up.  
  
"Tell her about Razorfist," Rogue chuckled.  
  
"Razorfist?" Elizabeth echoed disbelievingly. "As in..."  
  
"Yes," Kitty sighed, "this guy actually cut his hands off years back and then attached blades to the stumps to make himself a better fighter."  
  
"But wouldn't that make him a worse fighter?" Elizabeth said faintly.  
  
"Apparently nobody told him that," Kitty sighed. "So I'm walking with Rogue back from going shopping and he leaps at me out from the shrubbery. He's wearing what he thinks is a ninja style outfit, but it's all made out of leather," she said with a odd little smile.  
  
Rogue laughed loudly as she jumped in, "The leather was so stiff he looked like he was getting a wedgie!"  
  
"So I'm standing there doing my best not to laugh out loud at him as he gives me the usual 'I will defeat you and become the best there is' speech," Kitty said with a grin, "then he pops these fake hands off and charges right at me! I just sidestepped his charge, chopped him on the neck, and he went out like a light."  
  
"So we roll him over," Rogue smirked, "and it turns out he fell on one of his own blades. I'm just glad he didn't puncture anything important. So after calling an ambulance we're bandaging him, and he wakes up and sees the wound."  
  
"He asked me if I had claws too," Kitty sighed.  
  
"I wonder if that story will start spreading," Elizabeth laughed.  
  
"Don't even think that," Kitty said crabbily.  
  
Bishop opened the front door and came in, carrying a large sheaf of computer printouts with him. "A not-so-little gift to you from the police department," he said, dropping them on the coffee table by where Kitty sat.  
  
"What are they?" a wide eyed Rogue asked as Kitty began flipping through the sheets.  
  
"Arrivals of various underworld martial artists in Australia for the last week," Bishop answered, giving Kitty a sympathetic glance.  
  
Kitty buried her face in her hands with a loud groan.  
  
  
  
Ororo walked down the street, talking to herself. Or at least, that's what it looked like to the passerby, as she and Jean Grey had a long- distance telepathic conversation. The team telepath of the X-men, Jean had left the group around when Ororo had first joined, but over time they had developed quite the strong bond.  
  
The redhead's form shimmered a bit, but other than that she looked perfectly normal. "You and Mystique?!" Jean said with a grin.  
  
Ororo blushed, "I thought we arranged this to talk about business."  
  
Jean pouted. "You just don't want to talk about it," she pointed out wisely. Much more seriously, "We've got a handle on things in the mansion so far."  
  
"And this Cassandra?" Ororo asked her, referring to a mysterious new foe who had recently begun to trouble the X-Men. A immensely powerful telepath, she seemed to have haunted Prof. Xavier for years, a shadowy adversary who had only recently emerged into the light.  
  
"A serious problem," Jean admitted. "Posing as the Prof. she's outed the mansion," she confided to her quietly.  
  
Ororo's eyes widened slightly. "Do you want us to lend a hand?" she asked, already considering who to send and how.  
  
"No!" Jean exclaimed. "Cassandra has some very odd abilities," Jean continued, "I want to keep at least some of our people in reserve, untouched by her."  
  
"Kitty and Rogue," Ororo noted, "Rogue is naturally resistant to psionics, and Kitty is quite adept at handling psychic intrusion."  
  
"Their both first for any rescue team," Jean quietly agreed, "but not unless it's absolutely necessary. And you don't need to tell me about Kitty's psionic talents," Jean grinned sheepishly, "I've experienced them myself."  
  
"Oh, really?" Ororo raised her eye brows.  
  
"Not long after I re-joined the X-Men, I started to worry that 'Ogun's mind might be hiding within Kitty, like some kind of psychic landmine. Without her permission, I went into Kitty's head to try and check," Jean admitted to her ruefully.  
  
"Kitty may admire you, but I rather doubt that she let that intrusion go unpunished," a smiling Ororo noted.  
  
"That's something of an understatement," Jean agreed. "I had thought I slipped in unnoticed, but in a matter of seconds I found myself trapped, a demon masked ninja standing right in front of me!" Jean shook her head, "Kitty took the mask off and untied me, then she asked me what I was doing in her head."  
  
"And then she kicked you out?" Ororo asked.  
  
"No, then she opened her defenses and let me scan to my heart's content," Jean laughed, "But not until she gave me a lecture about asking before going into someone's mind."  
  
"I can easily imagine that little conversation," Ororo softly laughed. She gave her a curious glance, "So what did you find?"  
  
"Anything that was left of 'Ogun's personality in Kitty's head was completely under her control," Jean shrugged.  
  
"Including his psionic gifts?" Ororo asked, looking rather startled at that idea.  
  
Jean smiled, "If so, she doesn't choose to use them." The two walked along silently for a few moments, "So what's going on between you and Mystique?"  
  
"You aren't going to let that go, are you?" Ororo said ruefully. "Yes, I'm seeing her," she said softly, "but I'm not certain where this is going."  
  
"She's an honorable woman," Jean noted, "but not above using deceptions for her own reasons. Watch yourself, please."  
  
"I think she's being honest," Ororo answered, "and Rogue agrees."  
  
"I hope so," Jean answered, "for your sake." She paused, then hesitantly asked, "Do you ever regret breaking it off, between us?"  
  
"Occasionally," Ororo admitted quietly, "but I promised myself that I'd respect the vows you and Scott exchanged."  
  
"Me, too," Jean answered. She smiled, "But now that you're taken, I find myself tempted once again."  
  
"I am not taken," Ororo answered with as much dignity as possible.  
  
"Don't bet on it," Jean grinned. "It's getting a bit late over here," she sighed, "and Scott will be back soon. I'll contact you again, as soon as I'm able."  
  
"See you soon," Ororo wished her as the slowly fading Jean waved farewell.  
  
  
  
Heather paced the apartment, talking to her brother on the cellphone. "And then my powers yanked me right into her mind!" The athletic blonde paused, heard his reply, and scowled. "No, I did not check to see if she was really interested in me while I was in there! I was a bit too busy making sure I saved her life," she growled.  
  
The doorbell rang, and Heather turned to answer it. "Obviously, I know where your mind is, Davis. Right in the gutter. I'll see you when you get home," she finished, closing the phone with a snap. She pulled the door open, and stopped.  
  
Sage stood there out in the hallway and gave her a little smile. The dark hared, pale woman looked rather nervous, her eyes completely hidden behind her shades. "Did I come at a bad time?" she asked Heather quietly.  
  
"No, no," Heather fumbled, stepping aside, "come on in." She frowned slightly, "How did you know where I live?"  
  
"You're listed in the phone book," Sage answered her quietly. Then she softly said, "I wanted to thank you."  
  
"I thought you did," Heather blinked. She was obviously a bit thrown off by Sage being in her apartment. "Sit down, please. Would you like something to drink, I have soft drinks or spirits" Heather decided to fall back on her hostess duties.  
  
"Yes, please, a soda would be nice" Sage smiled gently as she sank down into the soft couch.  
  
Heather opened up the refrigerator and took two cans out, carrying them back into the living room in front of her. Sage sat on the end of the couch, looking around nervously.  
  
Heather put the can down on the coffee-table in front of the couch, then decided to give Sage a bit of room. She settled on the other end of the couch, "It's all right, Sage. I won't bite."  
  
Sage picked up the can, cradling it in her hands. Her glasses slid down a bit, revealing troubled eyes. She looked over at Heather, "Do you know the risks you were running? If Lady Mastermind had won, you'd have died, too!"  
  
"But she didn't" Heather smiled, "and you're all right. That's the important thing."  
  
Sage looked clearly startled by that answer. 


	12. A night in

Part Ten  
  
Sage sat there gazing at Heather blankly for a few moments, trying to absorb what she had just said to her. "You really do live up to the name Lifeguard," she finally quietly, and took a small drink of her can of soda.  
  
Heather smiled slightly and shrugged, "Depends who I'm guarding." The tall blonde pushed her hair back, seeming a bit nervous. She looked up, meeting Sage's eyes, "So Lady Mastermind didn't do you any lasting damage?"  
  
"I'm a little jumpy," Sage admitted. "I hadn't really though about how vulnerable I am to psychic attack," she said quietly.  
  
Heather silently considered her next words, taking in Sage's appearance. The girl really did look shaken, her calm poise gone for now. "If you want," she offered, "you can stay here with me tonight." At Sage's startled glance she smiled gently, "Totally platonic, I promise. My power should kick in to help if Mastermind tries anything."  
  
"I..." Sage started to say, then she trailed off. She really wanted to be able to turn down the offer, to maintain her usual tough and self- reliant image. But she was scared. "I'd like to," she startled herself by saying.  
  
  
  
"You know what we haven't done in a while?" Kitty asked as she and Rogue walked hand in hand back to the house.  
  
Rogue looked at her in surprise, "But we did it last night!"  
  
Kitty blushed fiercely, "Not that!"  
  
Rogue laughed softly, "Sorry, I shouldn't tease." She smiled, "What haven't we done?" She opened the door and waved Kitty through in a gentlemanly fashion.  
  
"Thank you very much, kind sir," Kitty smiled. "We haven't sat down to watch some anime in a while," Kitty sighed.  
  
"Sounds like fun," Rogue slipped her arm around Kitty's shoulders. "Let's go get some munchies and do it," she said. Bags of chips and some pop were quickly collected, and they headed down the hall to their room.  
  
"I wonder where everybody is," Kitty frowned.  
  
"Ororo's out talking to Jean, Psylocke and Neal are eating out, Bishop's on police duty, and," Rogue paused meaningfully, "Sage has gone to see Heather tonight."  
  
"Oh ho!" Kitty exclaimed. "Think we should start another betting pool on them this time?" Kitty asked with a grin.  
  
"Maybe," Rogue smiled back. They paused by their door and Rogue's eyes widened as she heard something, "There's somebody in there."  
  
"I know," Kitty frowned. She put her hand on Rogue's shoulder and quietly said, "I'll phase us through the door on three, OK?"  
  
Rogue nodded grimly.  
  
"One... two... three!" and Kitty slipped them both through the door, each ready for anything that awaited them!  
  
Well, almost anything. Mystique sat cross-legged on their bed, watching the anime Read or Die and chuckling softly to herself. She smiled as she saw them come in, "I wonder if they modeled Miss Deep on you, Kitty."  
  
"Mom!" Rogue exclaimed. "What are you doing in here?" she asked.  
  
Mystique looked a bit sheepish. "I got bored waiting for Ororo to get back," she shrugged, "and I noticed the tape in the VCR." She raised her eyebrows at the bags of munchies they were carrying. "Planing a little show?" she asked.  
  
"Something like that," Kitty said. Rogue looked at Kitty, conveying a silent question. Kitty nodded to her with a smile.  
  
"Would you like to join us?" Rogue smiled at her mom.  
  
Mystique grinned, "I'd love to."  
  
Kitty stopped the tape, "Would you like to see something naughty but fun?"  
  
Rogue raised her eyebrow, "Did Stevie send you something?"  
  
"Yeah, after I told her about us in my last letter," Kitty grinned. "She said the video would be really appropriate," she shrugged.  
  
"I wonder what that means?" Mystique smiled.  
  
"Only one way to find out," Rogue shrugged.  
  
"Let's try it," Kitty smiled, and after they all settled comfortably into their seats slipped a tape labeled 'Miyuki-chan in Wonderland' into the VCR.  
  
  
  
"Lucas!" Bishop heard someone call out behind him, "Hey, Lucas Bishop!" An officer he didn't immediately recognize came jogging up to him, "I heard you helped stop that attack on the city a few days back."  
  
"Yes, I did," Bishop smiled back at her.  
  
"Nice work," she grinned up at him. "My name's Cat, Catrine Grays is you want to be formal" the little blonde bowed slightly, "and I'm you're new partner."  
  
"But what happened to...?" he started to ask.  
  
"Out on maternity leave," Cat grinned. It was obvious that this cheerful young lady was up on all the office gossip. "Have you heard about the best?" she asked him.  
  
He blinked, "Best what?"  
  
"The best there is," Cat grinned, "the best fighter in the world. I've heard that it's in Australia, and that the best is a woman!"  
  
'The word's already spread into law enforcement?' Bishop thought, surprised.  
  
"Anyway," Cat continued cheerfully, "whoever it is has kept a low profile, so far. No really big property damaging brawls so far."  
  
"Thankfully," Bishop smiled. "Has the chief decided how to handle it?" he asked.  
  
"As long as whoever she is keeps a low profile," Cat shrugged, "we leave it alone. But if something big happens, we may have to take action."  
  
Bishop raised an eyebrow, "If she really is the best, what exactly are we supposed to do?"  
  
Cat looked at him thoughtful, "I doubt they've thought that far ahead." She grabbed his arm, "You just going off shift, too?"  
  
Bishop barely had the chance to give her a nod when she said, "Then let's go get some dinner, get to know each other better."  
  
The much shorter woman nearly dragged him along before Cat stopped to ask him, "Oh, do you have a girlfriend?"  
  
"No," Bishop managed.  
  
"A big, hunky guy like you?" Cat exclaimed. "That's a crying shame," she sighed cutely. "Not that I'm one to talk, being single too," and she continued on, not giving Bishop much of a chance to even get a word in edgewise.  
  
  
  
Mystique was snickering to herself softly, while both Kitty and Rogue were blushing slightly as the closing credits began to roll. "Did you know that this was Alice in Wonderland done mildly lesbian?" she asked Kitty with a smile.  
  
"Knowing Stevie's sense of humor, I probably should have guessed," Kitty admitted, still blushing fiercely.  
  
"The mad tea party was pretty good," Rogue laughed, thinking of the female Mad Hatter climbing all over the cartoon's main character.  
  
"Not to mention the red queen," Kitty smiled. She looked thoughtful, "I kept having Emma Frost flashbacks, though."  
  
Mystique raised her eyebrow, "Oh, really?"  
  
Kitty paused the tape, "Well, I did end up held to a chair by her mind."  
  
"Ooh, bondage!" Rogue explained. "Did she break out the whips and chains, too?" she asked with a impish smile.  
  
Kitty blushed harder, "No!"  
  
The door opened, and Ororo walked in. "Did I just hear what I thought I heard?" she asked them with a smile.  
  
"Don't worry, love," Mystique got up to kiss Ororo gently, "we were just talking about a anime we were watching."  
  
"I've got to see this," Ororo smiled, "would you mind if I joined you?"  
  
Mystique looked over at Kitty and Rogue, who both smiled willingly. Mystique shifted a bit on the bed, "Climb on up."  
  
It's quite hard to maintain one's dignity while climbing up to sit on a bed with three other occupants on it. Though Kitty noticed that Ororo did try her best. "Do you want to watch the other episode?" Kitty asked the others.  
  
"Sounds good," Rogue laughed. Kitty started up the tape again, and the words 'Miyuki-chan in Mirrorland' came up.  
  
  
  
Sage hesitated, and Heather smiled at her gently. She handed her a set of pajama's, "These belong to my brother, but you're slim enough they should fit."  
  
"Thank you," Sage blushed, taking them into her hands.  
  
Thankfully, Heather took her own set of pajama's and then went into the bathroom to get changed. Sage slipped her tight black bodysuit quite efficiently, soon standing there in her underwear. She quickly pulled the blue pajama's on, a bit baggy but comfortable none the less.  
  
Heather came out of the bathroom, and Sage felt her breath just stop. The pajama's were doing their best to hide the tall blonde's figure, but they were failing miserably. The athletic beauty was stunning, and Sage had to remind herself to breathe before she fainted.  
  
"Are you all right?" Heather asked worriedly, "You look kind of pale. Well, paler than you normally do, anyway."  
  
Sage blushed, surprised to be caught staring. "I'm fine," she managed.  
  
Heather rolled down the covers and invited Sage, "Pick a side." Sage noticed that one side had a depression where Heather normally slept, so she decided to slip in to the opposite side.  
  
"Thanks," Heather said, climbing in beside her. The lights went out, and the room was plunged into darkness.  
  
Sage lay there stiffly for a few moments, then she felt gentle arms wrap around her body. "What?" she gasped softly.  
  
"Don't worry," Heather's soft voice tickled her ear, "I'll protect you, I promise." Strangely, those words actually seemed to help. Sage found herself relaxing, and soon she was fast asleep.  
  
Heather sighed to herself softly, feeling Sage spooned into her own body. 'This is going to be a long night,' she thought to herself. 


	13. A testing

Part Eleven  
  
All four ladies were laughing at the end of the Miyuki-chan in Mirror Land episode. "That was mildly perverted," Ororo said thoughtfully, "but still cute, somehow."  
  
"Kawaii," Rogue and Kitty said in sing-song tones.  
  
Both Raven and Ororo looked at them oddly.  
  
"Cute," Kitty smiled, "in Japanese."  
  
"The flower-girls..." Ororo shook her head.  
  
Raven smirked, imitating the character's voice perfectly, "I've got a cut on my inner thigh! Look! Look!"  
  
They all broke up at that.  
  
  
  
Elizabeth and Neal walked together, the sun just beginning to set, lighting up the street in fiery golden hues. Both were visibly content, filled with a generous meal from relaxing surroundings, good wine and good company.  
  
"Thank you for a lovely dinner," Elizabeth smiled.  
  
Neal laughed, "I had a great time, too." He looked at her sideways, "I've noticed you're not quite so stiff after Kitty's done training you."  
  
Elizabeth laughed quietly, "I'm improving, but Kitty can certainly still put me in my place when she needs to."  
  
Neal raised his eyebrow, "Oh?"  
  
Elizabeth made a face, "I got a bit cocky, and Kitty decided to demonstrate some new movies. I was on my back in seconds."  
  
"Ouch," Neal grimaced.  
  
They walked on quietly, diverting down a small side street that served as a shortcut home. Neal never saw the blow coming, slammed up into a wall stunned. A sai was directed at Elizabeth's throat as a dark haired woman looked at her calmly.  
  
"Please tell your sensei that I look forward to meeting her tomorrow," was all she said, and then she was gone.  
  
Neal shook his head groggily, "Who was that?"  
  
"Elektra," Elizabeth said softly. She grabbed his arm, "We'd better get back home fast. Kitty should know about this."  
  
"There goes our date," Neal sighed.  
  
  
  
The sun was up, and the air crisp as they ran together along the beach. Elizabeth looked at Kitty oddly for a moment before venturing, "You don't seem too worried."  
  
"Worrying wastes energy," Kitty smiled back. A bit more seriously she said, "There isn't a lot I can really do. I'm prepared, I think, so it's better just to let her come."  
  
"Makes sense," Elizabeth admitted. They turned around and headed back to where Rogue was waiting for Kitty.  
  
Since the first dunking incident, Rogue had made a point of not napping while Kitty and Elizabeth were doing their training. This time, she was reading a book, a fierce frown on her face. As Kitty grew nearer she called out, "You actually liked this?"  
  
Kitty shrugged, "Yeah!"  
  
Rogue made a face, and slipped a book mark inside. "I liked Hobbit and Lords," she sighed, "but these Unfinished tales are rough going."  
  
Elizabeth smiled, "I liked it."  
  
She received a frown from Rogue for that remark. "So are you two done beating each other up?" Rogue asked.  
  
Kitty nodded, "Yeah, we're done."  
  
The three of them made their way up the beach to the house, taking their time. Ororo stood out on the balcony, standing by Raven and looking out over the sea. Ororo smiled and waved before calling down to them, "Have any of you seen Sage?"  
  
Kitty raised her eyebrows and looked at Rogue and Elizabeth. They both shook their heads, so she yelled to Ororo, "No."  
  
They got nearer, noticing that Raven was smiling while Ororo looked just a bit worried. "It seems she didn't come home last night," Raven smiled.  
  
"Do you think there's trouble?" Rogue asked Ororo. A little smile, "Or do you think Heather and Sage got lucky?"  
  
A bit of a blush appeared on Ororo's cheeks.  
  
"Don't tease," Kitty chided Rogue, "as team leader it's her job to worry like that."  
  
"Do you want us to start a search?" Elizabeth volunteered.  
  
From the living room behind them they suddenly heard Sage's voice call out worriedly, "Search for whom?"  
  
All five rushed inside, to see Sage standing there still dressed in her clothes from the night before. Her hair was a bit messy, but other than that she looked her typical cool self. "And where were you last night, young lady?" Ororo asked.  
  
"She was with me," Heather said as she stepped into the living room. Sage, unsurprisingly, blushed furiously.  
  
Kitty noticed how uncomfortable Sage was looking and led a reluctant Rogue out of the room. "I haven't seen Sage blush like that before," Kitty smiled.  
  
"She only does that around Heather, you'll notice," Rogue noted. She frowned, "But why did you want us to leave?"  
  
"Body language," Kitty shrugged. "I don't think they've done anything yet," and she smiled up at Rogue, "but you'd tease them anyway."  
  
Rogue made a face, but commented, "Guilty as charged."  
  
  
  
Heather quietly said, "We were talking, and it just got too late for her to head home." It was strange, but Heather almost felt like she was taking to Sage's father or something, while Ororo was grilling her. Raven, on the other hand, just looked amused.  
  
To make matters worse, Sage had headed off to get changed into fresh clothes, leaving her there all alone with them.  
  
"Thank you," Raven smiled. The shapechanger looked like she was having quite the good time with this.  
  
Ororo looked rather more skeptical. "It's not that far home," she said dryly. She fixed Heather with a steady gaze, clearly expecting to hear more.  
  
Sage came back in, dressed in a small black dress that looked rather good on her. "Why do I feel like I frightened my dad by being out too late?" she asked the room in general.  
  
Raven chuckled, and Ororo blushed. "Sorry," she said quietly.  
  
"It's all right," Heather smiled. More quietly, "I'm glad Sage has such good friends."  
  
"Any new crisises we need to deal with?" Sage asked curiously.  
  
Raven looked at her curiously, "Not that we know of. Why?"  
  
"Because I'd like to take her out for the day," Heather smiled at them.  
  
"We'll be back by dinner," Sage called out as she grabbed Heather's hand and literally dragged her out the door.  
  
"Looks like your little girl's all grown up," a impish Raven commented, and Ororo shot her a glare in reply.  
  
"What was that all about?" Heather asked.  
  
Sage sighed, "Raven was going to continue to tease us, and I hate teasing."  
  
Heather raised an eyebrow, "I'll have to remember never to tease, just to tempt."  
  
"Tempt?" Sage frowned.  
  
"Teasing's fun, but tempting has some follow through," Heather chuckled, gently caressing Sage's cheek.  
  
Sage went red, "Heather!" They walked together silently for a few moments, then she quietly said, "Thank you, for what you did last night."  
  
"You're welcome," Heather answered seriously. She smiled, adding, "It was my pleasure."  
  
Sage blushed once again.  
  
  
  
Kitty and Rogue left the house a little while later to go grab some lunch together. They took their time walking, savoring the warm weather and gentle winds.  
  
"It's so beautiful here," Rogue sighed softly.  
  
"I would tend to agree," the voice said conversationally from right behind them.  
  
Rogue jumped, but Kitty was unruffled. She just smiled at the dark haired woman as if she had expected to see her, "Hello, Elektra." She quietly asked, "How's Logan been?"  
  
"He asked me to say hi," Elektra shrugged. The European woman smoothly fell into step beside them. She was quite attractive, but it was a dangerous beauty, much like a finely crafted sword that could cut you so very easily.  
  
Rogue was looked at the two of them like they were crazy. "Well," she finally sighed, "at least you're being civilized about this."  
  
Elektra nodded, "No reason not to be." She looked at Kitty curiously, "Shall we?"  
  
"Of course," Kitty agreed. It didn't take long to find a deserted alley, and Kitty asked Rogue to guard the end, to keep any innocent bystanders away.  
  
Elektra drew her two sais from their concealment in her clothes, and Kitty took up her guard posture. The two women gazed at each other intensely, something invisible seeming to pass between them in complete silence.  
  
Finally, Elektra spoke up, "It seems I can't influence your mind with the Hand's techniques."  
  
Kitty smiled slightly, " I have 'Ogun's skills, too. He even claimed to have taught the Hand that trick himself."  
  
"Then it comes to this," Elektra said, and attacked.  
  
Kitty smoothly deflected the two sai strikes with her hands, shifting a little aside to avoid the kick she knew was coming when Elektra simply... stopped. She stepped back, tucking the sais away, then she bowed deeply.  
  
Kitty bowed in return, "Was that sufficient?"  
  
"I would have lost," Elektra smiled slightly, "in less than ten moves." As she turned and walked away she said over her shoulder, "You have a very efficient style. I look forward to when you open a school."  
  
"That's it?" Rogue looked at Kitty in disbelief.  
  
"You almost sound disappointed," Kitty laughed. She and Rogue left the alley together, "She just wanted to know who was better, and she found out."  
  
"A professional, in other words," Rogue said thoughtfully.  
  
"Which worries me a little bit," Kitty admitted. "It might mean that I've come to the attention to the big leagues," she sighed. 


	14. The Hand Arrive

Part Twelve  
  
The phone rang, and Kitty smiled happily as she recognized that familiar, gravely voice on the other end. "Logan," she exclaimed happy.  
  
"Hey, Kitty," Logan replied, and she could almost imagine him leaning up against a door frame in the Mansion, a cigar in hand. "How's Rogue?" he asked.  
  
Kitty grinned impishly, and in a sultry voice replied, "Better that you could imagine."  
  
Silence, then a mix of laughing and coughing coming from the other end. "That's not what I meant," Logan chuckled.  
  
"Sorry, I guess I'm just a bad girl," Kitty laughed.  
  
"This ain't a social call," Logan said with a sigh. "Looks like you're taking on Elektra has got certain peoples attention. There's a Hand cadre lead by a master assassin on their way to Sydney," he reported grimly.  
  
Kitty began to swear. "It's a kill mission, probably," she mused, "they want to prove that they can take out the best."  
  
"That's how I read it," Logan agreed. Quietly, "You want some backup? I can fire up the Blackbird and be down in Australia in a few hours."  
  
It was tempting, Kitty had to admit. It would be nice fighting by Wolverine's side again, but... "No, I think we can handle it," she smiled.  
  
She could hear the approval in Logan's voice, "Call me once the Hand's been ran off the place with their tails between their legs."  
  
Kitty laughed, "Will do."  
  
Kitty set the phone down and picked up her communicator, dialing up Ororo and the others to let them know what was going on. Bishop answered on the first ring, and her eyes grew wide as she listened, "What?!"  
The hospital corridors were bustling as Kitty ran through the hallways. "What happened?" she demanded as soon as she reached Bishop's side.  
  
"Poison, probably in the food," Bishop snarled. "We all went out to lunch, and whatever it was kicked in while you were out," he explained.  
  
"Are they going to be all right?" Kitty asked grimly.  
  
Bishop nodded as he reassured her, "It was a bit touch and go initially, but yeah, they'll be fine. It looks like what they used on us was meant to incapacitate, not kill." He paused before asking, "Do you know who did this?"  
  
"It was the Hand," Kitty said, looking through the window at her unconscious teammates in their hospital beds. Her eyes widened, noticing that someone was missing from the group, "Rogue?" She turned on Bishop, "Is Rogue...?"  
  
"Just fine," she heard from behind her, and turned to see Rogue standing there. She was as bit pale, but other than that she looked all right.  
  
Kitty hugged her fiercely, "Don't scare me like that."  
  
"Sorry," Rogue smiled, wrapping her arms around her gently. "My invulnerability, along with a bit of Wolvie's healing factor was enough for me to shrug off the poison's effects," she explained.  
  
"Lucas," a voice cried from down the hall. A blonde haired police officer ran up to them, her expression serious. "There's been a kidnapping," she said.  
  
"What's the situation, Cat?" Bishop asked.  
  
The blonde haired Cat looked grim, "A group of kids, babies almost, got grabbed from a school bus on their way home."  
  
"Any ransom note?" Bishop was all business.  
  
Cat flipped open her notebook and read, "Do not attempt to flee us, Pryde. Face our challenge, or their lives are forfeit." A numerical code was read off next.  
  
"Those bastards," Rogue murmured.  
  
"We're going back to the house," Kitty said to Rogue, and then to Bishop, "then we're going after them. Do your best to keep the police off our back."  
  
"Wait a minute," Cat grabbed at her arm, "what's going on here?"  
  
"My name is Kitty Pryde," she said, "and those kids were kidnapped as bait for me." A grim little smile as Kitty added, "I don't intend to disappoint them."  
  
With that, Kitty phased out of her grip and she and Rogue simply disappeared.  
  
Cat gapped at them in shock. She looked up at Bishop, "She's the best, isn't she?"  
  
Bishop thought about denying it, but decided not too, "Yep, she is."  
  
"And you're helping them," Cat looked up at him thoughtfully.  
  
"Might be our best shot to save those kids," Bishop defended himself.  
  
Cat raised her eyebrow, "Uh huh?"  
Kitty took her team uniform from the closet, checking it over before pulling it on smoothly. The Black and blue uniform blended into the shadows, helping her move about unseen. Tonight, she was going to need it.  
  
"What's the plan?" Rogue asked, her own black and red suit on.  
  
Kitty opened up a silk bag in the bottom of her drawer, drawing forth a handful of silvery shuriken. She slid them into pouches hidden around her costume even as she said, "I'll slip inside, and track down the master assassin leading them. Once I take him down, the Hand will pull out."  
  
"How can I help?" Rogue asked.  
  
Kitty sighed softly, hesitating. "I could use a distraction," she admitted. "But they use magical weapons, love. It could be dangerous," she cautioned her.  
  
Rogue smiled, "Danger is our business." Quietly, she added, "There's no way I could let you go into danger and at least try to help."  
  
"Thanks, love," Kitty hugged her gently.  
  
"But how, exactly, are we going to find them?" Rogue asked.  
  
"Those numbers Bishop's partner read off," Kitty explained as she lead Rogue downstairs, "are for a coordinate system. I bet it's a location in town."  
  
"Should we split up?" Rogue asked as they stepped outside. She locked the door, then turned to Kitty, who smiled gently.  
  
"I don't really want to," Kitty admitted, "but it's a good idea." She kissed Rogue gently on the cheek, whispering the location in her ear, "I'll meet you there."  
  
With that, she seemed to simply disappear.  
  
"I have got to get her to teach me to do that," Rogue said to herself, rising into the air and soaring off into her own mission. She reached the target in moments, spotting the guards nearby and simply ramming into them.  
  
Kitty could hear the alarms wailing as she neared, slipping into and out of shadows nearing the building. She phased down into the sewers, and made her way forward cautiously. The only guard left was nervous, hesitant, holding his sword white knuckled.  
  
"Hi," Kitty said cheerfully as she came around the corner, "could you direct me to the Opera house? I'm lost."  
  
He gaped at her, hesitating just long enough for a smoothly thrown shuriken to find it's way to his throat. A soft gurgle, and he dropped to the ground, dissolving. Silently, Kitty ventured on into the building itself.  
The news covered the kidnapping, describing the assailants costume. It was sketchy, but for her, it was more than enough to recognize the culprits. "The Hand," she murmured softly. She had chosen to face Pryde honorably, in combat. What the Hand were doing had no honor at all.  
  
"Kidnapping children," she muttered angrily, rising from her chair. Such a thing simply should not be tolerated, not by any true warrior. She dressed silently, pulling on her battle garb, then disappeared into the night.  
Rogue grinned, watching the Hand soldiers surrounding her. It was actually kind of fun, fighting against a bunch of goons in pajamas. Yes, they were dangerous, but normally she had to hold back against most enemies.  
  
But whatever the Hand were, they weren't fully human any more.  
  
Rogue blew out a weary breath. Overwhelming numbers, on the other hand, could be a bit of a problem. She had already taken out dozens of the ninja, but they just kept coming. Suddenly, they leapt, and Rogue was swamped in black clad figures.  
  
She struggled to try and free herself, but there was just too many of them. Then she heard a soft cry, as a flash of metal blades gleamed in the darkness. The Hand pulled back, revealing a crouched figure, blades extended.  
  
"Wolvie?" Rogue asked, surprised.  
  
"Not quite," Lady Deathstrike said, offering her hand to Rogue.  
  
Rogue took it even as she asked, "But why?"  
  
Deathstrike smiled, "I have no fondness for the Hand." More seriously, "And those who would threaten children are below contempt."  
  
"You got that right," Rogue agreed. The Hand began to mass for another attack, and Rogue grinned, "Let's take them, shall we?"  
  
Deathstrike grinned back, "Lets." The fingers of each of her hands extended, becoming sword like blades.  
  
'Two can play at that game,' Rogue thought. She called upon the powers that she had once absorbed from Wolverine, and popped bone claws from the back of her hands. They exchanged a glance, and together charged.  
Kitty watched silently as the black clad woman watched the situation falling apart on her. "How many Ninja have fallen?" she asked again disbelievingly, sweeping her long white hair back with a gesture.  
  
"Fully half our cadre," the young man admitted. He didn't see the blow coming, coughing as he spat blood on the floor.  
  
"They are only two," she said disbelievingly. "And where is Pryde?" she demanded.  
  
'Sounds like my cue,' Kitty though, tossing out shuriken into the few soldiers into the room. "Right here," she declared.  
  
"How did you," the assassin turned, shocked, and Kitty was upon her, They fought gracefully, across the cramped control room. Blades flew midair, but Kitty dodged them gracefully, managing to catch the woman across the cheek with a shuriken.  
  
"Give it up," Kitty said simply.  
  
"You're faster than me," she murmured, reaching up to touch her bloody cheek. She smiled, her expression one of honest pleasure, "I'm glad." She pressed a switch on her control panel, quietly, "Release the children."  
  
A surprised sounding voice replied, "Mistress, they're gone."  
  
The white haired woman looked up to meet Kitty's eyes. Kitty just shrugged, "I would have been here sooner, otherwise."  
  
"My name is Sakura," the white haired woman bowed, "and I look forward to meeting you again." Kitty threw her shuriken, but they just passed through her as she teleported away.  
  
'Why do I get the feeling she's going to be back?' Kitty wondered.  
  
The Hand slowed, then stopped. As if receiving a silent cue, they pulled back, disappearing into the shadows. "Looks like Kitty reached their leader," Rogue sighed.  
  
"Indeed," Deathstrike said, turning to leave.  
  
Rogue gently took her arm, "Wait a minute." Deathstrike frowned, flexed her finger blades threateningly, but Rogue carried on, "At least stick around long enough for Kitty to thank you."  
  
Deathstrike hesitated, then, "Very well."  
  
Kitty phased through the building's outer wall, airwalking down to the ground. "Look who's here," Rogue cried.  
  
Kitty smiled, dropping down to the earth. She smiled, bowing respectfully, "Thank you."  
  
Deathstrike smiled just slightly, "You're welcome." She turned, and slowly walked away.  
  
"Care to join us in a victory celebration?" Rogue asked. She paused, "well, actually we're going to be tending to our teammates for a while but once they're better..."  
  
Deathstrike surprised them with a laugh, "I'll think about it." 


	15. Twelve and Three Quarters

Part Twelve and three quarters....  
  
As she finished speaking, Sakura smiled to herself, secretly activating her personal teleportation device. Shadowcat caught on and quickly threw her shuriken at her, but it was just too late, she was already gone.  
  
She reappeared in the shadows, smiling as she reached up to her cheek. She gathered up a bit of the blood, and smoothly licked it up from her fingers. She stalked down the hallway, eventually reaching an unmarked door.  
  
The chime rang, and from within she heard his voice call out, "Come in."  
  
"Sir," Sakura bowed, "the first test has been completed."  
  
He watched from the shadows, a shaft of light occasionally catching on his armor. "She marked you," he sounded just a bit surprised.  
  
"Pryde's reputation is well earned," Sakura answered him simply. "The Hand were useful pawns in this, willing to do what we asked for money," she reported.  
  
"Do they suspect who their true employer was?" he asked her coldly. Sakura shivered at his tone of voice, and hastened to answer.  
  
"The moneys were channeled off-shore, then through accounts in Switzerland," Sakura smiled as she unpinned her white hair, letting it flow down her back.  
  
"Eliminate any Hand that had contact with you, just in case," he ordered.  
  
"Of course, my Lord," Sakura bowed. She paused for a moment, then asked, "May I have another opportunity to defeat Pryde?"  
  
"Don't let your eagerness overwhelm you," he cautioned, rising to step into the light. His silver armor gleamed, his helm fully concealing his face. A long red cape flowed around his legs, and he struck quite the impressive figure.  
  
"Forgive me, Lord Stryfe," Sakura bowed.  
  
"Nothing to forgive," Stryfe waved his hand, "just do not forget your place." He smiled at her grimly, "The X-men have always been a thorn in my side, so if I can eliminate this branch, I will do so." He paused, "But to do so, we must be sure of their strength."  
  
Sakura smiled slightly, "You wish me to send another agent in?"  
  
Stryfe smiled a truly nasty smile, "I have someone in mind. Canada's department H recently acquired him, and I'm certain he would be eager to face Katherine Pryde..."  
  
Sakura looked thoughtful, then she smiled. "Indeed," she agreed softly.  
Bishop headed to the front door, scowling. He had already been having a rotten day, and it didn't look like it was getting better any time soon. He opened it, and froze, mouth agape.  
  
Cat looked up at him worriedly, then she smiled. "Well," the little blonde grinned, "I'm glad to see you're all right."  
  
"What are you doing here?" Bishop looked at her in surprise.  
  
"I heard that your friends checked themselves out of the hospital early," Cat said dryly, "and that you're stuck taking care of them."  
  
Bishop paused, then sighed, "Well, yes."  
  
"You need an extra pair of hands?" Cat offered.  
  
Bishop stood there silently a moment, then a voice from behind him yelled, "Yes!" He turned to see Rogue standing there, gloves on and looking distinctly tired. "Hi, I'm Rogue," Rogue offered Cat her hand, "we ran into each other at the hospital, but weren't formally introduced."  
  
"Hi," Cat smiled. She looked around curiously, "Where's your brown haired friend?"  
  
"Where is Kitty, anyway?" Bishop tried to take control of the conversation again.  
  
"Cooking breakfast, actually," Rogue shrugged. "I'm pretty incompetent at it, and you're too busy with the babies," she explained.  
  
"Babies?" Cat raised her eyebrows.  
  
"My teammates," Bishop chuckled softly. "They aren't taking to being sick in bed very well," he explained.  
  
"I smell food cooking," they heard someone say. Cat blinked at the tall black woman with white hair flowing down her back. The lady's face went green, and she ran into the bathroom. The door slammed behind her, and they could hear her being noisily sick.  
  
Bishop shook his head as Ororo staggered out of the bathroom and then back to bed. "Looks like we can't give them breakfast," he yelled towards the kitchen.  
  
"I was making it for us," Kitty stuck her head through the kitchen wall to yell back. She saw Cat, blushed, and gave a little wave.  
  
"Interesting friends you've got here," Cat said dryly.  
  
Deciding that the cat was out of the bag, so to speak, the three X- men sketched in the details on what was going on. "And that's that," Bishop finished.  
  
Cat looked at Kitty thoughtfully, "You really didn't set out to become the best?"  
  
"More like stumbled into it," Rogue laughed. She walked from the table, "I'll send Davis out for his breakfast."  
  
"Thanks," Kitty smiled, blowing Rogue a kiss. Turning back to Cat, "The rumors just took on a life of their own, I think. Now if somebody beats me, that'll be it, but so far it hasn't happened."  
  
Davis Cameron stumbled out of the bedrooms, grabbing a clean plate and then loading it down with sausages and eggs. The sandy haired boy had insisted on helping take care of his sister, and Bishop figured they could use the help.  
  
"Don't make yourself sick," Bishop smiled, looking at the pile of food.  
  
"I'm a growing boy," he shrugged. Davis shoveled in the food as he asked, "Does this sort of thing happen often?"  
  
"Unprovoked attacks?" Kitty asked. Davis nodded, and she sighed, "Yeah, I'm afraid so."  
  
"So what can I do to help?" Cat asked cheerfully.  
  
"Get ready to be whined at," Davis shrugged. At her odd look, "I don't think they get sick very often, so they really don't do it well."  
  
Neal groaned softly, covering his eyes with his hand. "Put me out of my misery," he managed.  
  
"Sorry, love," Elizabeth rasped out, "I should have spotted it."  
  
Cat and Lucas put damp cloths on feverish heads, and carried in cool glasses of soda. After a bit of trial and error, they had found that would stay down. "How you doing?" Cat asked cheerfully.  
  
She got twin glares, then Neal looked over at Bishop. "Who is she?" he asked.  
  
Cat grinned, sticking her tongue out, and Bishop laughed. "My partner, Cat," he grinned.  
  
"Nice to meet you," Elizabeth sighed, adding, "you're not catching us at our best." Elizabeth watched the two, Cat joking cheerfully and Bishop his normal serious self, and thought that they looked kind of cute together.  
  
Heather sat up uncomfortably, looking down at the peacefully sleeping Sage. The tall, blonde haired woman reached out, gently stroking the dark hair. Davis paused at the door, and discretely turned back to give them some time alone.  
  
"I want to get up," Raven complained bitterly.  
  
Rogue offered her the glass of soda, the straw ready. "And do you want to be sick again?" she asked her pointedly.  
  
Raven pouted, "I hate being sick."  
  
Ororo moaned softly. "Join the club," she echoed. Kitty gently wiped her brow, then helped her drink something. She looked over at Kitty, "Next time we go out to lunch, we're bringing along a food taster."  
  
Kitty made a face, "Sorry, Ororo. I didn't know."  
  
Raven shot Ororo a look, then said to Kitty, "It wasn't your fault."  
  
Ororo sighed softly, "She's right." A little smile, "Sorry, Kitty."  
  
"It's all right," Kitty smiled. In truth, she did feel a bit guilty that the others were sick. She got up, "You mind if I take a break? I want to go check my email," she said to Rogue softly.  
  
"No problem," Rogue smiled.  
  
Kitty phased, literally walking on air up and then up through the roof. She smiled as she heard Raven remark, "That is so cool."  
  
Kitty grinned, sitting down at her computer. She took a calming breath, then opened up her email account. She ran through the messages, and spotted the name of an old friend. She opened the file, reading the message, and a slow smile appeared on her face. "Brian, you're a doll," she murmured with a smile, and closed her mail.  
  
Bishop saw her smile as she walked downstairs. "What's up?" he asked curiously.  
  
Kitty grinned, "It looks like our transportation problems might just be solved."  
  
"Don't leave us hanging like that," Rogue chuckled.  
  
"A friend of mine, Brian Braddock, is sending us a jet," Kitty said simply.  
  
A moment of dead silence as everyone tried to decide if they had heard her right.  
  
"Did you say a jet?" Bishop finally asked.  
  
"Yep," Kitty grinned, "Brian finished repairing the Midnight Runner, Excalibur's jet, and he's sending it to us."  
  
"That's the one you were boasting could outrun the Blackbird, right?" Rogue laughed.  
  
Kitty nodded, "It's a hybrid of Earth and Shiar technology, so it can outrun just about anything terrestrial." She paused, "There's just one thing."  
  
"What?" Bishop asked patiently.  
  
"It's coming in today on auto-pilot, so it might be a good idea for some of us to be there, just in case anything goes wrong," Kitty explained.  
  
Another long moment of silence, more from surprise this time.  
  
"There's nobody piloting the jet?" Rogue squeaked.  
  
Bishop didn't wait for Kitty's answer, "You and Rogue go to the airport, I'm sure Cat, Davis and I can handle things here."  
  
Kitty grabbed Rogue's arm before he could change his mind, and the two of them were gone. Davis laughed, "Any excuse to get away."  
  
Not long afterwards, Kitty and Rogue were standing beside a sleek black jet. It had come down as smooth as silk, rolling into it's appropriate slot. It looked a bit like an oversized fighter plane, with a overly built up engine.  
  
"It seats over eight people," Kitty said cheerfully, "and after the last time it was shot down, Brian upgraded the ECM. It's all state of the art."  
  
"Shot down?" Rogue raised her eyebrows.  
  
"We did have a run of bad luck with planes," Kitty admitted.  
  
"Par for the course for any X-team," Rogue laughed. 


	16. Interlude: The Brotherhood

Interlude: the Brotherhood  
  
Stryfe gazed at the monitor, at the faces of the members of the Mutant Liberation Front. They had been expendable soldiers to him, recruited to be revolutionaries in his cause. And when he no longer needed them, he cut them loose without a moment of pity.  
  
He did not regret making that choice even now, but it had been a bit rash. He had not expected to survive his final battle with the X-men, and had not considered the long term picture. Having them as agents would be useful, but it was no longer possible.  
  
A smile suddenly appeared on Stryfe's face.  
  
'But that does not prevent me from recruiting another group of agents' Stryfe thought. He began to review the files, using his perspective as a time traveler to his fullest advantage. Finally, five faces appeared on his screen.  
  
"Well, to work," Stryfe rose to his feet, a switch was pressed on his gauntlet, and he was simply... gone.  
  
In Egypt, near the pyramids, a young woman simply and effectively destroyed all that stood before her. The man, garbed as servants of some long dead pharaoh, attacked from advanced vehicles with high tech weapons, but it was all for nothing.  
  
The sandy haired woman struck out again and again with massive waves of energy, frying any who dared oppose her. She killed them ruthlessly, cutting down men like a farmer would rows of wheat. A final wave of fire, and they were gone.  
  
Stryfe stepped from the shadows, clapping softly, "Very well done, Plasma. But they are only a fraction of your father's forces."  
  
She turned to look at him angrily, fire dancing around her hands. "I don't care how many men the Living Pharaoh sends against me," Plasma vowed, "I'll kill them all." Energy surged, the sand melting into glass all around her.  
  
"But unless you can actually reach their master, the Pharaoh himself," Stryfe smiled, "it will all be for nothing."  
  
Plasma narrowed her eyes at him, "Your point being?"  
  
"If you assist me in my agenda," Stryfe smiled, "I'll help you with yours. My resources are many, and I can be a most helpful ally."  
  
Plasma looked at him thoughtfully for a moment, then smiled slightly. "Allies then," she said, adding, "for now." Stryfe took her hand, and they were gone.  
  
The yard of the prison went deathly quiet. The young woman tried to hold her guts in with her arms, but it was a loosing battle. The cat woman stood above her silently, a small smile on her face as she savored the suffering of the other girl.  
  
"Don't cross me," Feral said, raking the crowd with her eyes as her claws flashed, "or you'll end up like her." With that, she turned and walked away.  
  
"That was stupid," the voice said coldly. Feral reacted by instinct, leaping, only to be stopped in midair by the power of Stryfe's mind.  
  
"Here to settle old scores?" Feral hissed and spat at him.  
  
""That girl's death will add years to your sentence," Stryfe noted. He paused, "But only if you're still here to serve it."  
  
"You offering me a way out?" Feral asked.  
  
"Cable showed me you were an effective operative," Stryfe smiled coldly. "But disobey me, and you will wish you were back here," he added.  
  
"Are you planning on going after the X-men?" Feral asked him. At Stryfe's nod she grinned,. "Good! I'd love a chance to get back at a few of my former friends." She stepped up to his side, and they were gone.  
  
In a small town in the midwest. It was a quiet place, full of simple country people who were used to living a simple life. But deep beneath their city, something far from simple was going on.  
  
The girl struggled in her bonds, fighting to get free. The gray furred figure moved around her, talking cheerfully, "I'm merely performing an experiment, Miss." He attached various connections to her body, hooking her to a larger device, "This will trigger any latent mutancy you have, as well as enhance it. Won't hurt a bit."  
  
He bustled over to a switch, paused, "Oh, I'm sorry. This will hurt a great deal." He flipped the switch, and the girl screamed. Her body blazed golden for a moment, then the light died as her body crumbled to dust.  
  
"Fascinating," he ambled over to collect samples of the dust, "her powers were too much for her body to contain." He muttered, "Maybe I should reduce the frequency..."  
  
"Still up to your old tricks, McCoy?" Stryfe asked quietly.  
  
"Hello, Stryfe," McCoy, also known as the Dark Beast, said to him cheerfully. "What can I do for you?" he asked.  
  
Stryfe looked around him thoughtfully, "There are somewhat more primitive facilities than I'm used to seeing you in."  
  
"Difficult times," McCoy shrugged.  
  
Stryfe felt the other's presence behind him before he saw it, "Call off your dog, McCoy. Or you may just loose him."  
  
McCoy smiled, "Back off, Nemesis."  
  
The crystal armored figure moved around to McCoy's side, her living energy pulsing brightly. "Let me at him," Nemesis said to McCoy softly.  
  
Stryfe ignored him, speaking directly to McCoy, "How would you like a fully equipped lab, and unlimited test subjects?"  
  
"And in return?" McCoy asked with a grin.  
  
"Assist me in killing each and every X-Man," Stryfe answered.  
  
"I'd help with that," Nemesis grinned.  
  
"Indeed," McCoy agreed, and the two of them joined Stryfe to be teleported away.  
  
It was cold out in the desert, but she didn't care, didn't even feel the cold anymore. She sat there, remembering the times they had shared, the peaceful year they had spent out here before the call to arms had carried them back into the wars. Wars that had cost him dearly. She bent forward, a single tear running down her face.  
  
"I'm sorry for your loss," Stryfe said quietly.  
  
Polaris sprang to her feet, green hair swirling around her face as she turned to face him. She glared at him floating nearby, and softly said, "Get the hell out of here, before I tear that armor off you and make you eat it."  
  
Stryfe raised his hands, "I come in peace, Lorna Dane."  
  
"What ever you're selling, I'm not buying," Polaris said quietly. Magnetic energies swirled around her, ready to be used.  
  
"What many of your allies forget is that I know the future," Stryfe said quietly.  
  
"You don't know anything," Polaris scoffed.  
  
"I know that three renegade members of the XSE went back in time to this era," Stryfe said softly. Polaris gazed at him in shock as he continued on, "I know one of them tried to return home, and that Havok was caught in the middle." He smiled, "What the X-men don't know is that he was displaced extra-dimensionally."  
  
"You can help him get home?" Polaris asked, a bit of hope in her voice.  
  
"Yes," Stryfe nodded, "in exchange for your assistance in my endeavors."  
  
"Against the X-Men," Polaris clearly sounded troubled.  
  
"X-Men who were so utterly unable to help you that you even turned to Magneto for aide," Stryfe reminded her. keeping his voice gentle. "I need your help Polaris," he paused, adding with a smile, "in the name of mutant brotherhood."  
  
Polaris hesitated, then she reached out to take his hand. "For Havok, I'd do anything," she said to him softly.  
  
"Welcome to the Brotherhood," Stryfe smiled as they both disappeared.  
Sakura smiled sweetly, nodding to the various security guards as the guard assigned to her escorted her into the depths of Department H. It had been so easy breaching their security, her papers passing each inspection, her uniform perfect in every way. She fought back a devilish smirk over the name that she had put on the false documents: Inspector Sakura Kinomoto.  
  
'Patently false, and they still missed it,' she thought. Sakura shook her head, focusing on her business here. "How long have you been holding him?" she asked the guard quietly.  
  
"Wolverine brought him back in a few weeks ago," the young man volunteered eagerly. Almost as soon as he had seen her, he had been as helpful as possible.  
  
'Put a pretty woman in front of a sex starved soldier and their brains run out their ears,' Sakura thought. "Have you had any problems holding him?" she asked.  
  
"Ever since we restarted the Weapon X program," the soldier said defensively, "we've been preparing for just such an eventuality." Reverently, he added, "He's an product of the first Weapon X project, you know."  
  
"One of their great successes," Sakura said, trying not to let the sarcasm show in her voice.  
  
"We're here," he announced. He swiped a pass card across a reader, and the heavy door slowly eased open. They both went in, and it closed behind them with a thud. Inside, there was a separate cage, a figure sitting there with large, metallic mitts over his hands.  
  
He leaned forward, golden hair catching the light as he looked at her thoughtfully. "Who's the frail?" he asked.  
  
"Victor Creed," the officer said nervously, "this is Inspector Sakura Kinomoto. She'd like to ask you a few questions."  
  
"Sabertooth," Sakura smiled, "it's very good to meet you." A small device dropped from her sleeve into her hand, and she activated it with a soft beep.  
  
"What was..." the officer started, but she cut him off with a blade thrust into his heart. He gazed at her in disbelief before sliding to the floor.  
  
"The room's being monitored," Sabertooth noted.  
  
"Thanks to this," Sakura held up the device, "they're only seeing what I want them to see."  
  
"Nice," Sabertooth gave a nasty smile. He looked at her thoughtfully, "What do you want with me?"  
  
"How would you want to take on the best there is?" Sakura asked him.  
  
"Logan," Sabertooth growled.  
  
"Katherine Pryde," Sakura smiled at him.  
  
Sabertooth looked at her in surprise for a moment, then grinned. "Shadowcat?" he laughed, "I'd love a re-match with her."  
  
"Then this is what we'll do," Sakura began to explain...  
  
The young officer led her to her car, climbing into the passenger side. "Where did you manage to get an image inducer?" Sabertooth asked, hidden under the illusion.  
  
"I have my ways," was Sakura's answer. She added seriously, "They won't be fooled by the boy's body for long, even if it's disguised as you."  
  
Conversationally, Sabertooth asked, "Why shouldn't I kill you right now?"  
  
"The image inducer you're wearing on your wrist also contains a powerful explosive device," Sakura explained calmly, "enough to tear your arm to shreds. Non-lethal, but very painful."  
  
Sabertooth grinned, "Though you'd have that covered."  
  
Sakura opened the glove box, "Papers, ID, and airline tickets to Australia," she said with a grin. Softly, "Good hunting."  
  
Sabertooth blinked, snarling as she simply disappeared from the inside of the car. 


	17. Fourteen

Part Fourteen  
  
Bishop couldn't keep the relieved smile off of his face as he reported back to work. Everyone was over the worst of the sickness, and after listening to over a week of their whining he was looking forward to the regular trials of police work.  
  
"Nobody should be that happy coming in to work on a Monday," a very amused sounding woman's voice said from right behind him. He turned around to see Cat standing there, looking her usual exuberant self.  
  
"After the past week," Bishop trailed off, shrugged eloquently, and Cat laughed. He looked at the perky blonde thoughtfully. Things had been pretty hectic, and she had taken the revelation that her partner was an X- man pretty well. Maybe too well.  
  
They were driving on patrol when Cat asked him, "I noticed your friends just call you Bishop. Do you prefer that, or Lucas?"  
  
"I answer to both," Bishop said with a smile, "but I do prefer Bishop."  
  
"Is it OK if I call you that?" Cat asked tentatively.  
  
Bishop looked over at the petite blonde thoughtfully, "Sure."  
  
Cat grinned up at him, "Thanks."  
  
Back at the house, Rogue put a hand on Neal's shoulder to stop him from going upstairs to use the computer. "Kitty's working on her physics paper," Rogue grinned, "and I wouldn't risk disturbing her right now."  
  
"I'm glad to see she's continuing her education," Elizabeth smiled at her before asking, "is she doing it on-line?"  
  
"Yep," she nodded and Rogue sounded quite proud of Kitty when she added, "through a program with MIT."  
  
"I'm impressed," Neal admitted. He and Elizabeth went over to use the office computer on the main floor. It was a bit slower, but should be fine for his e-mail.  
  
'Too bad Kitty has a deadline,' Rogue though. Up till now Kitty had always put her work for her classes early, but dealing with everyone being sick had put her a bit behind.  
  
"Protecting everyone from the dangers of a crabby Kitty, I see," Raven grinned at her adopted daughter.  
  
"How did you know about..?" Rogue started to asked, then she smiled, "Storm, of course."  
  
Raven nodded, "Ororo told me about Kitty's irritability level going up while she works on a difficult project."  
  
"Or has a deadline," Ororo herself added. She looked at Rogue thoughtfully, "Has Kitty had any luck finding out about the Hand cadre that attacked us?"  
  
"Both Kitty and Elizabeth are checking into it," Rogue shrugged eloquently, "but there's not been much progress so far. Kitty does think the woman leading the Hand, Sakura, wasn't a Hand assassin herself."  
  
"Is this a theory, or does Kitty have something to back it up?" Raven asked.  
  
"Theory, I think," Rogue shrugged again, "Sakura didn't act like your typical assassin, she said."  
  
"Then there's the teleporting she described," Ororo noted. "If it wasn't a natural ability, then it implies a great deal or resources behind her," she sighed.  
  
"And a medium long list of adversaries whom she might be working for," Raven noted. "There's Apocalypse, Dr. Doom, Mr. Sinister, Stryfe, and a few others," she frowned slightly, trying to remember.  
  
"None of whom are pushovers," Rogue sighed.  
  
A joyful cry echoed down from the stairs. "Finished," Kitty cried, and they could hear her dancing around the little upstairs office. A few moments later she phased through the roof down to them, throwing her arms around Rogue, "Thanks for keeping distractions down, love."  
  
Rogue blushed, "Thanks."  
  
Kitty, still holding on to Rogue, said to Ororo, "We did a patrol with Elizabeth last night, and it looks like the Hand have left Australia."  
  
"And Lady Deathstryke?" Raven asked. She had heard about Lady Deathstryke helping Kitty and Rogue fight the Hand, and was mildly intrigued. 'Could she be considering changing sides, too?' she wondered.  
  
"Still in town," Rogue said, "supposedly on business."  
  
"Very interesting," Sage said quietly. The pale woman looked even paler after being out of the sun for a week, but she looked a lot better than she had.  
  
Ororo looked at her narrowly, "Are you feeling all right?"  
  
"I'm much better, thanks," Sage actually blushed a bit. The poison had caused her to make one or two messes, something Kitty, Rogue and the others had to clean up after. "Heather and I were planning to go into town, would you like us to check Lady Deathstryke out? Discretely, of course," she hastened to add.  
  
"Sounds like a plan," Raven looked curiously at Ororo.  
  
"Not a bad idea," Ororo agreed. "But stay out of her way, and don't start anything," she cautioned her.  
  
"Right," Sage gave a slightly mocking salute.  
  
As Sage was walking away Kitty said quietly, "Has anybody noticed that Heather has practically moved in here since Sage got sick?"  
  
Rogue grinned, "Yep."  
  
"Here's hoping she decides to stay," Raven said softly.  
  
"Let's grab some lunch," Kitty grabbed Rogue's arm, noticing that Ororo was giving Raven a 'we have to talk' look.  
  
Ororo and Raven walked out on the porch together, looking out at the surf. "What's wrong?" Raven asked quietly.  
  
Ororo smiled at her, "Don't get your hopes up with Lady Deathstryke." She sighed softly, "She's an honorable woman, but her motives and motivations are complex."  
  
"So were mine," Raven pointed out.  
  
Ororo squeezed her hand gently, "But your intentions were good. Deathstryke seems to lack that sort of moral compass."  
  
"And yet she fought by the X-men's side once against Stryfe," Raven noted.  
  
"True," Ororo agreed, "but out of her own self interest."  
  
Sage walked away from the group and down the hallway to her bedroom door. She knocked on it softly, and heard Heather call out, "Come in."  
  
Sage opened the door, and froze. 'She really is a natural blonde,' was the thought that ran through her mind right before she turned around, her cheeks flaming.  
  
There was the sound of a soft swish of fabric, and Heather's hand gently rested on Sage's shoulder. "It's all right," Heather sounded quite amused as she continued, "I'm covered now." Sage turned a bit to see her in a terrycloth robe, and sighed in relief and a bit of disappointment.  
  
Sage was still blushing fiercely as she said, "Ororo says it's all right if we go into town together."  
  
"It's all right if you see me nude, you know," Heather said gently. She smiled slightly, "I certainly saw all you had while I was taking care of you."  
  
"What?" Sage squeaked.  
  
"Who do you think helped bathe you while you were sick?" Heather asked.  
  
Sage's cheeks went even redder, if possible. "Oh, god," she muttered to herself softly, covering her face with her hands.  
  
"You really are cute when you blush," Heather chuckled softly, "that must be why I like you to do it so often."  
  
Deciding not to answer that Sage asked, "So do you still want to go to town?"  
  
"I'd love to," Heather said gently. She smiled wickedly as she tugged at the sash of her robe, "Would you like to help me get dressed?"  
  
Sage looked up at her, her cheeks flaming, then she surprised both of them by saying, "Yes."  
  
Kitty grinned at Rogue as she made sandwiches for both of them. "So what do you think of Heather staying here?" she asked.  
  
"She's good for Sage," Rogue smiled, "almost as good as you are for me."  
  
"Flatterer," Kitty leaned forward, kissing her gently.  
  
That same day, in an long abandoned town in the Australian outback, Sakura looked around her thoughtfully. The dust blew down what was left of the main street, and for a moment the silver haired woman though she was in some American ghost town.  
  
She stepped into a broken down building and activated a concealed lift, dropping several levels below the surface and into an technologically advanced headquarters. The woman in a simple white bodysuit walked down a hall to a much larger open chamber, converted from a treasure vault into their new training center.  
  
"This is quite the facility," Sakura nodded.  
  
"The town formerly belonged to the bandit group called the Reavers, until the X-Men defeated them. The X-Men themselves used it, until the Reavers expelled them again," Stryfe said.  
  
"And what happened to the Reavers?" Sakura asked him curiously.  
  
"Slain by the Sentinels," Stryfe said even as the silver armored figure reviewed the video files from the training sessions. Quietly he asked, "Are they improving?"  
  
"Somewhat. None of them are happy about the training, but they are beginning to work together quite well," Sakura said. She brought up a file, and two savage figures were shown tearing through simulated enemies. "McCoy and Feral are remarkably effective together," Sakura smiled.  
  
Stryfe smiled grimly, "As I expected. What about Plasma and Polaris?"  
  
"Plasma's arrogant, but I think I can keep her in line," Sakura reported. "Polaris may well be the glue that holds this organization together," Sakura admitted, "she mediates fights and keeps them focused on the task ahead."  
  
"And are they accepting your command?" Stryfe asked with a little smile.  
  
A bleak little smile and Sakura said, "They know not to disobey me."  
  
Stryfe lead Sakura into the main command center, his long red cape blowing around him. They brought up images from the surface, looking into the rooms each of their agents had taken. Feral's was a rat's nest, cluttered already, McCoy's was pristine, except for the animal's in their cages, Polaris's was mostly bare, and Plasma's was clean, both her and Polaris talking together.  
  
"So Alex was your lover, too?" Polaris sighed softly. The green haired woman looked out the glass window as the dust blew by.  
  
"Yes," Plasma said softly. She looked down, just a bit uncomfortable as she said, "I didn't know that he was taken at the time."  
  
Polaris sighed softly, "Alex could be a fool for a pretty face."  
  
Stryfe switched screens, "She had greater self control than I expected." She looked over at Sakura thoughtfully, "And has our... guest arrived yet?"  
  
Sakura checked her watch, "He should be arriving at the airport any time now."  
  
The figure stepped down from the airplane, clearly working to control his temper has he was jostled by the crowds. He pushed his blonde hair back, and his finger nails glinted metallic in the sunlight. He strode to the arrivals desk, calmly presenting his passport.  
  
"Victor Crane," the young woman compared his face to the photo, stamping the passport page calmly.  
  
Victor Creed smiled, trying not to let his fangs show, "Nice to meet you." He produced a piece of paper, "Medical notice, for the pins in my hands."  
  
The metal detector went off when they ran it over his hands, and the security officer nodded. "Right," the clearly bored man nodded.  
  
Victor strode through the airport with a smile on his face. He collected his baggage, 'Now to find the little Kitty-cat. Wonder if I should send a piece of her to Logan when I'm done?'  
  
With that pleasant thought bringing a smile to his face, Victor Creed caught a taxi into town. 


	18. Fifteen

Part Fifteen  
  
The strong hand tightened, sharpened fingernails gleaming, the figure struggling frantically as the muscles in the arm tensed up.  
  
CRACK!  
  
Victor Creed tossed the body aside with a soft snarl. The man hit the wall and slid bonelessly to the ground, and he smiled slightly as he heard something. 'Someone finally hit the silent alarm,' he looked around the bank with a feral smile.  
  
At a police station across town Bishop and Cat ran to the switchboards. "What's going on?" the black man asked, leaning over the console.  
  
"Give her some room," Cat pulled him back gently.  
  
The brown haired woman at the switchboard gave Cat a grateful nod, "Bank alarm, I'll try to call up a video feed."  
  
A screen lit up, static crawling across it. The image cleared up, and Bishop barely choked back a gasp of surprise. And if he was honest, a bit of fear. The blonde haired man looked up, seeming to notice the camera, and grinned evilly.  
  
"Run a check with that new facial matching database the U.S. sent," Cat instructed her, "let's see if it can tell us who this is."  
  
"Not necessary," Bishop said grimly, "I recognize him." Both women looked at him, "Victor Creed, also known as the assassin Sabertooth."  
  
"An assassin?" the girl blinked, "So why would he be robbing a bank?"  
  
Cat looked over at Bishop, "To get someone's attention."  
  
Bishop nodded grimly. "Let's go," he said as he picked up his jacket and then he and Cat were out like a shot. Lights and siren blazing they moved out, "Get on the radio, have some officers surround the bank but don't go in."  
  
"Right," Cat got on the radio even as she asked, "You gonna call her?"  
  
"No choice," Bishop nodded, hitting the speed dial on his cellphone.  
  
"Yes?" Elizabeth picked it up.  
  
"There's serious trouble," Bishop said grimly, "tell Kitty that Sabertooth is in town." He quickly gave her the address, then he had to hang up.  
  
Elizabeth swore softly, running up the stairs and calling out, "Kitty!" She though she heard something from the bedroom and threw open the door. Only to stop there cold, "Eeep!" and slam the door shut once again.  
  
"Next time, we lock the door," a blushing Kitty scrambled for her clothes.  
  
Rogue nodded, hopping on one foot as she pulled her black bodysuit on the other leg, "Might just be a good idea."  
  
Once both of them were decent, Kitty pulled open the door to face a blushing Elizabeth. "Sorry, but next time, knock..." Kitty started.  
  
"Sorry, sensei, but it's an emergency," Elizabeth said, "Bishop just called to tell you that Sabertooth is in town."  
  
Rogue's eyes widened, and she swore softly as well.  
  
"My sentiments exactly," Elizabeth agreed.  
  
Kitty's expression was grin, "Who's here?"  
  
"Me, Neil and you two," Elizabeth said apologetically.  
  
"Get into costume and signal the rest of the team," Kitty said to her grimly, "we've got to move out quickly." Elizabeth bolted back downstairs, Kitty slammed the door shut behind her and then phased right out of her regular clothes before grabbing her blue and black costume from the closet and pulling it on.  
  
Rogue was in her black and reds in a few moments even as she asked Kitty, "I couldn't stop you from taking him on if I tried, could I?"  
  
Kitty carefully slid a handful of shuriken into a pouch at her waist, "Nope."  
  
"Then make sure you win," Rogue said seriously. With a flicker of concentration she popped Wolverine's claws, "Because I'll take him on next."  
  
Kitty pulled her close for a kiss on the cheek, "I'll win, I promise."  
  
They ran downstairs as Neal and Elizabeth came out in full costume. "What's the plan?" Neal asked nervously.  
  
'He hasn't ran into Sabertooth before,' Kitty remembered, and smiled at him comfortingly. "The rest of the team should be coming in soon," she said, "but we'll have to handle things first. Neal, you carry Elizabeth, and Rogue, you can carry me."  
  
All four of them were quickly in the air, and Rogue brought her lips to Kitty's ear to whisper, "Are you making this up as you go along?"  
  
"Can't do much until we see the situation," Kitty murmured back.  
  
They reached the bank in a few minutes, easy to find considering the police cars that were surrounding it. Bishop waved to them from where he was standing by one of them, and the four of them settled down to the ground beside him.  
  
"Creed's in there with about ten hostages," Bishop reported, rolling out a printout of the bank's floor plan on the car's hood. He pointed to the main room, "The cameras confirm he's in there with his captives."  
  
As Kitty was studying the layout Neal said to Elizabeth quietly, "At least nobody's yelled 'Mutie!' at us or pulled a gun."  
  
Cat overheard that and the blonde haired woman said grimly, "That psycho's already killed two of the hostages just for kicks." She shrugged, "I think the other officers are glad anyone is taking this off our hands."  
  
"I wish I was still a telepath," Elizabeth said grimly, "at least we could reassure his captives that rescue is coming."  
  
The 'X' symbol on Kitty's costume glowed, and she pressed down on it firmly. Storm's voice came through clearly, "We're tangled up dealing with the smugglers off shore. We hope to be there as soon as possible, but for now..."  
  
"We're in position, and will try to handle the situation," Kitty reported.  
  
"Be careful, Kitten," Storm answered, then she signed off.  
  
"Looks like it's down to us," Bishop said simply.  
  
"I've got a plan," Kitty said simply. The four of them looked over at her expectantly, and she nodded to Neil first, "Thunderbird, when I give you all the cue I want you to use your plasma to destroy this outer wall." She pointed it out, then looked over at Elizabeth, "Psylocke, your telekinesis will need to keep the plasma from hurting anyone inside, and then I want you and Rogue need to get all of the hostages out."  
  
"And what will you be doing?" Cat asked.  
  
Kitty smiled grimly, "I'll go in there first with my communicator open. Once I fully distract Creed, I'll give you the signal."  
  
Bishop hefted his gun, "Let me..."  
  
"No," Kitty shook her head firmly, "he wants only me in there with him, of that I'm certain." A pause, "Besides, I need you and Cat out here controlling the cops. And if this goes really bad, you get to back-up Rogue."  
  
"I'm not thrilled with this plan," Rogue sighed as she flew Kitty towards the building.  
  
"It's the best we got," Kitty squeezed Rogue's hand as she murmured, "I love you." They hovered, and Kitty said, "Fastball special time."  
  
The 'fastball special' was a trick Wolverine had worked out years back with Colossus, where the super strong Russian had literally thrown Wolverine at an enemy. Rogue, carefully moderating her strength, threw Kitty at the top of the building. Ghostlike, Kitty phased through the building's roof, hitting the floor with a roll as she recovered to scan the situation.  
  
"Kitty-cat," Sabretooth snarled as he charged her, his claws extended from each finger. He was as big as Kitty remembered, a mass of coiled muscle and murderous intention. But he was a quick as he was strong, and Kitty knew she's have to outsmart as well as out fight him.  
  
Kitty quickly recovered her footing to sidestep his charge, moving like a dancer to grab his extended arm and slam him face first against the outer wall. It didn't hurt much, and he turned, snarling, to charge at her again.  
  
Kitty vaulted over him, watching as he skidded to a stop. Using a momentary opening in his guard she charged him, throwing a kick right into the flesh at the junction of his throat and jaw. He reeled back and spat blood, even as Kitty cried out, "Now!"  
  
The outer wall exploded in a burst of fire and flame, a pink glow swiftly appearing to contain the fire. As it faded away Rogue soared inside to grab four hostages and fly them right out. Psylocke grabbed four others with the power of her mind, and Thunderbird flew in on a burst of flame and grabbed the last two.  
  
"Nice," Sabertooth growled. He coughed, surprised to see some blood in his spittle, and looked down to see that sometime while they were sparring, Kitty had buried two of her shuriken between his ribs into his lung.  
  
With a bestial howl he charged her, but Kitty calmly met his attack, dodging and leaping each of his wild strikes. "Do you remember when the Hand took you, me and Wolverine captive?" she asked him calmly.  
  
"I don't care," Sabertooth howled, "fight!" He snarled in frustration as she easily kept one step ahead of each of his strikes.  
  
"They took a piece of each of out essences, and gave it to another," and Kitty grinned wildly as she said, "They gave me your savagery, Creed."  
  
"So what?" Sabertooth growled, suddenly feeling a bit uncomfortable. He remembered that time, bearing up under Logan's honor, and how small it had made him feel.  
  
"I know you better than you know yourself," Kitty answered. She kept striking into the soft flesh of Sabertooth's body, avoiding both the bones and any blows he tried to land.  
  
"Stop phasing," Sabertooth bit out angrily.  
  
Kitty surprised him with honest laughter, "I haven't had to phase yet!" She leapt high, her hands a blur as her shuriken flew.  
  
Sabertooth managed to block a few with his clawed fingers, but more got through. His arms streamed blood, along with his waist and legs. He staggered suddenly, his eyes widening as he slurred out, "What'd you do?"  
  
"Two things," Kitty answered him coldly. "First, the shuriken are coated with what would normally be a pretty lethal nerve toxin," she smiled, "your healing factor keeps it from actually killing you, but it'll sure slow you down."  
  
Kitty darted forward to strike the center of his chest, and he convulsed, falling to the floor stiffly. It was clear he was having difficulty breathing, his body itself seemingly rebelled against him. His mouth worked, but nothing came out.  
  
"Second, I've been striking at certain pressure points on the body," Kitty knelt down on his chest, "the proper combination of which can also kill." She jabbed once, and Sabertooth stiffened again, his eyes wide.  
  
"Remind me not to make you angry," Rogue said quietly.  
  
Kitty shrugged, "You do what you have to do." She looked down at Sabertooth, "But even that won't kill him."  
  
"The police have restraints to hold him," Bishop stepped up to say.  
  
Kitty shook her head, "Only temporarily." She reached down, and quite deliberately phased her hand right into Sabertooth's head, running it back and forth there a few times before pulling it back out again.  
  
"What was that for?" Cat asked her as the police dragged the restrained and drooling Sabertooth by them.  
  
"My power disrupts electrical systems when I pass through them," Kitty shrugged, "and what's the brain but a complicated electrical system? His healing factor will fix him eventually, but it should keep him under control for now."  
  
An hour later and a victory celebration was going full swing at the house when Storm and the others arrived home. The grim expressions on their faces stopped the party cold. "What's wrong?" Elizabeth asked.  
  
"Someone took advantage of our being occupied with the smugglers and Sabertooth to launch an attack against the Muir island research station," Sage said grimly.  
  
"Someone used Sabertooth as a distraction?" Neal burst out.  
  
"Looks like it," Ororo agreed, leaning tiredly on a very damp looking Raven Darkholme.  
  
"Who was it?" Kitty asked grimly.  
  
"We don't know what they call themselves," Sage said softly, "but both Feral and Polaris were with them."  
  
To be continued... 


	19. Brotherhood Part Two

The Brotherhood: Part Two  
  
The ship rocked gently against the dock at Muir Isle, then a large, blue furred figure climbed out. He casually ambled along the wooden planks, until her reached a security camera nearby. Giving it a toothy smile, he said, "It's just Hank McCoy, stopping by."  
  
Then with surprising swiftness he crushed the camera!  
  
Working quickly McCoy plugged a small laptop into the loose wiring, typing away rapidly. "We're clear," he called back out to the boat.  
  
Feral jumped out first, clearly happy to be back on dry land. "I hate boats," she hissed, visibly shaking any moisture still on her right off.  
  
Plasma climbed up on the dock, reaching back to help Polaris out.  
  
"Thanks," Polaris smiled up at her gratefully. She looked over at Feral to say soothingly, "We didn't have a lot of choice getting here. This monthly supply run to the Mutant Research Station was our best bet to get in unnoticed."  
  
Sakura ignored Plasma's offered hand, smoothly vaulting up onto the deck and stalking over to McCoy's side. "Can you successfully hack the security systems?" she asked.  
  
"There's three lines of defense, each wired separately," McCoy still typed away, "this outer line has been hacked, but there will still be defenses active nearer the buildings. Then the internal system will have to be dealt with."  
  
Sakura just nodded, clearly not surprised.  
  
"I wonder why our big buddy Nemesis isn't along on this trip?" Feral complained.  
  
Polaris smiled grimly, "I've seen his file. If we wanted to nuke the island, bringing him along would be a good idea. Not a covert operation."  
  
"Not very subtle, I take it," Plasma smiled.  
  
A short burst of laughter from Polaris, "Not at all."  
  
"Let's go," Sakura said simply.  
  
They moved cautiously across the hills up towards the Research Station, and if any of them were curious about why they were doing this, they didn't ask aloud. Feral and Sakura acted as scouts, guiding them until they reached the inner line of defenses.  
  
"There's a gun emplacement on the other side of this hill," Sakura stated calmly, "we can use it to access the inner line of defenses."  
  
"Why does this place have this kind of defenses?" Feral asked disbelievingly.  
  
"The Xavier Protocols, maybe," Polaris answered quietly. At Plasma's inquiring glance she whispered, "After an X-Man went bad a few years back, Xavier wrote a series of plans on how to take the members of the X-Men down if needed."  
  
"I wonder if that's our target," Plasma looked curiously at Sakura.  
  
"We'll be told when we need to know," Polaris shrugged.  
  
Feral looked over at McCoy, "Gimmie a boost." McCoy cupped his hands, Feral stepped in it delicately, and he practically tossed her over the rise at the cannon there.  
  
There was a slicing sound, and McCoy grinned, "My cue, I believe." He went over the hill, the others following quickly behind him. The mini- cannon lay on the ground, sliced away cleanly.  
  
"I hate getting grease on my nails," Feral wiped her claws on the grass.  
  
"Smoothly cut," McCoy said admiringly, quickly plugging his laptop in.  
  
"Why, thank you Doctor," Feral actually smiled at him.  
  
"You're awfully trusting of our fearless leader," Plasma and Polaris moved off to quietly resume their previous discussion.  
  
"Not really," Polaris smiled slightly, "I'm just confident in our ability to handle whatever comes our way."  
  
"You got that right," Plasma agreed, letting fire dance along her fingers a moment.  
  
Sakura stood back a bit, watching them interact. 'Things are progressing like we thought,' she noted, 'Feral and McCoy are bonding in a psychopathic sort of way, while Plasma and Polaris' basic decency pulls them closer together.' She smiled coldly, 'Soon we'll be able to use one of them as leverage with the other, if needed.'  
  
"The inner line's down," McCoy smiled, "and quite quickly, if I do say so myself."  
  
"Keep under cover until we reach the main buildings themselves," Sakura ordered. "There's human security in there, and I have no wish for one of them to raise the alarm," she added.  
  
They moved on, carefully keeping out of the line of sight of anyone in the buildings. It took time, but in a few moments they reached the buildings themselves. "McCoy," Polaris asked quietly, "what sort of access do you need to shut down the buildings' security?"  
  
"I can clear some of it from an outside port," McCoy answered, "but the rest will require a PC access inside."  
  
Sakura shot Polaris a look, silently saying, 'Thank you for asking, but don't do it again.' She then said to McCoy, "Get to it." She turned back to the other three, "Once were in, I do not want any of the security personnel killed."  
  
"Aaawwww!" Feral wined.  
  
"I bet the X-Men will be after us just for busting in here," Plasma noted, "we don't need to add any dead bodies to the score."  
  
"And you'll get your shot at them later," Polaris added quietly.  
  
Sakura quietly said to Feral, "Don't disobey me." A gleaming shuriken appeared in her hand, seemingly by magic, "You won't live long enough to regret it."  
  
"We're good to go," McCoy appeared to say.  
  
They moved in quietly, the five of them ready to move at a moment's notice. "What's our target?" Plasma asked, looking back and forth carefully.  
  
"McCoy," Sakura nodded to a nearby PC on a desk.  
  
"Who goes there?" the man in a security uniform called from down the hall.  
  
Before he could even move, a metal panel from the roof went liquid, forming a muzzle and bonds to restrain him. "Gotcha," Polaris smirked.  
  
"Not bad," Plasma shot her a smile.  
  
"Thank you," Polaris nodded. She pulled two more roof panels apart, forming a belt, and two bracelets on her wrists.  
  
"What's that for?" Feral asked with a smirk on her face.  
  
"Parts of this place have no iron in it," Polaris explained patiently, "part of a defense against Magneto. This way, I'm carrying something for my powers to work with."  
  
McCoy finished up on the PC, "The automatic defenses are all down. We only have to worry about the human security now."  
  
"Our target," Sakura looked over the other four, "is the cold storage vault two levels below us. McCoy, I'll need your assistance to package the samples for transport. Polaris, Plasma, and Feral will be our cover."  
  
"Two levels down," Plasma noted. She looked over at Polaris, "Can you tell me how thick the floor is here?"  
  
Polaris knelt down, generating a low level magnetic pulse, "About a foot."  
  
"Everyone step back," Sakura cautioned the others.  
  
Plasma glowed softly, focusing her concentration. Then a focused stream of fiery plasma radiated from her hands, cutting through the floor like a hot knife through butter. "Instant shortcut," she smiled, adding, "watch the edges, they're still hot."  
  
Polaris picked up herself and Plasma, floating them down to the next level. Feral and McCoy leapt down easily, while Sakura just seemed to appear there.  
  
"How does she do that?" Feral murmured quietly.  
  
Completely deadpan McCoy answered her, "Ninja mojo." Feral snickered softly at that.  
  
Sakura did a quick check of the floorplan before saying, "Cut down to the next level here, please. We don't want to risk any damage to the vault."  
  
"Got it," Plasma answered. Another fast burn later, and they were on the final level.  
  
Sakura swiftly lead them down to the hall to a massive vault door. She typed a code in confidently, and a moment later the door opened, cold mist spilling out onto the floor. A computer terminal was sitting nearby the door, and she gestured McCoy towards it.  
  
"We want the cell samples from the X-Men, as well as any Summers clan DNA on file," Sakura instructed him.  
  
McCoy typed on the terminal quickly, slots opening up on the walls of the vault revealing vials of DNA. "I begin to understand," he smiled, "material for my enhancements, maybe?"  
  
"It's possible," Sakura opened up a carrying case, sliding vials into cushioned slots.  
  
A few moments, that's all it took to acquire what they had come for. Polaris hesitated when Sakura said it was time to go, asking her reluctantly, "Should we make a try on the Protocols?"  
  
Sakura actually smiled, "Thanks for the offer, but Stryfe specifically ordered me not to."  
  
They returned to the waiting boat much faster, Polaris using her magnetism to fly them back, skimming low over the ground. They climbed into their craft, and it sat there silently for a moment. Outer segments fell away, and it skimmed over the waters before rising into the air. The mini- jet climbed, slowly disappearing into the sky as it's cloak activated.  
  
Later that day Sakura entered Stryfe's chambers cautiously, waiting for the armored figure to see her. "Come in," Stryfe said calmly.  
  
Sakura carried the case in, laying it on the table. "Mission accomplished," she said simply.  
  
Stryfe opened it, looking at the vials, each carrying a precious cell sample. "Good work," he smiled slightly.  
  
"A question, Lord Stryfe," Sakura waited for his nod before continuing, "why didn't you want us to try to obtain the Xavier Protocols?"  
  
"Because they are no longer valid," he said simply. "The members of the X-Men have continued to grow and evolve since the Protociols were first written, and the composition of the teams has also greatly changed," Stryfe explained.  
  
"Sir," Sakura bowed her respect to him.  
  
"And this is far more precious," Stryfe ran his fingers along the vials, finally pulling it out. Her raised one to the light, the name on it reading, 'Katherine Pryde.' With a slight smile Stryfe asked Sakura, "How would you like to walk through walls?"  
  
To be continued... 


	20. Sixteen

Part Sixteen  
  
The Midnight Runner cut across the night sky, the jet's engines purring at it soared towards their goal. Kitty sat in the pilot's seat, her knuckles white on the controls and her expression grim as she focused on what might lay ahead of them  
  
"It isn't necessarily connected to Excalibur having been based there," Rogue said to her gently from the co-pilot seat.  
  
"You just know me way too well," Kitty sighed softly. She looked over at Rogue with a wry smile, "It's just that I lived out on Muri Island for a long while, and someone attacking it feels awfully personal to me, somehow."  
  
With a little smile on her face Rogue asked, "So how does it feel to be in charge, boss?"  
  
Kitty made a face at that. Storm had decided to split the team, keeping some of the group in Australia in case something else happened. She put Kitty in charge, and sent Sage, Bishop and Rogue along with her to Muir Island.  
  
Bishop came up from the back to ask, "What's our ETA?"  
  
Kitty smiled up at him, "Five minutes left."  
  
Bishop whistled softly, "This thing is as fast as you said it was."  
  
Quietly Kitty asked him, "So how's Sage taking my being in charge?" When Storm handed out the orders there had been such an odd look on the pale woman's face, and she had been almost deadly silent on the trip out.  
  
A very amused sounding voice came from behind Kitty, "I'm done pouting, thanks." Sage put her head up between the seats to say quietly to Kitty, "I'm sorry." She looked over at Rogue seriously, "Are we near enought to contact Muir Island?"  
  
"It's worth a try," Rogue shrugged. She efficiently brought the communication system on line, "This is the Midnight Runner and the X-Men, calling Muir Island. Can you read me?"  
  
There was a bit of a crackle of static, "This is Cecelia Renes, from Muir Island. It's nice to hear your voice again, Rogue."  
  
"Been a while, Cecelia. What's the situation down there?" Rogue asked.  
  
"We've got the scene sealed off to preserve any evidence," Cecelia reported, and the former X-Man hesitated, "but you should also know that there's a represenitive of the Weird Happenings Organization out here as well."  
  
"What?" Bishop blinked.  
  
"No, WHO," Kitty smirked.  
  
"No comedy routines today, please," Rogue snickered. Into the communicator she said, "We'll be there in less than five minutes."  
  
"We'll be waiting," Cecelia answered.  
  
It was actually less than three minutes before the Midnight Runner's vertical take-off and landing system brought them straight down on the landing pad. A man stood there, dressed in a black suit, the wind whipping his overcoat backward.  
  
Kitty hesitated a moment, seeing him, then efficiently shut the engines down and locked down the various systems. Rogue looked at her worriedly, "Is something wrong?"  
  
"It wasn't who I was expecting to see," Kitty admitted. All four of them disembarked from the jet, striding out on to the landing pad together.  
  
The man took a last puff of his cigarette before crushing it out under his shoe. He pushed his black hair back, looking almost nervous as they walked towards him. He smiled slightly and once they were near enough Pete Wisdom said, "It's been a while, Pryde."  
  
"Pete," and there was a catch in her voice as Kitty offered her hand, "I knew that you were too nasty to have died."  
  
Pete smiled slightly as he shook her hand firmly, "You know the old saying, 'reports of my death have been greatly exagerated' and all that."  
  
Rogue cleared her throat, and Kitty smiled, "I'm forgetting my manners. I'd like you to meet my teammates Sage and Bishop," and there was a pause, "and my lover, Rogue."  
  
'And didn't that make for an interesting reaction,' Kitty noted. The dark eyes widened slightly, but Wisdom still offered his hand to be shaken. Wisdom and Rogue visibly assesed each other, even as they moved on into the island facility.  
  
"Is there any security footage of the assault team?" Bishop asked.  
  
"A few images before they took each system off-line," Wisdom reported. He made a face, "The computers have been trashed, some kind of virus we think."  
  
"Send Kitty and Sage after that," Rogue smiled, "I bet they can handle it."  
  
"Wouldn't be surprised," Wisdom smiled back.  
  
They reached an area surrounded by yellow ribbon, and a african american woman looking down at a burnt floor in the floor. "Cecelia," Kitty smiled at her cheerfully.  
  
Cecelia looked back, nodding respectfully. She wore a lab coat, obviously back in her doctor mode once again. "Good to see you all," she smiled. She gestured to a melted hole in the floor, "Take a look."  
  
Kitty knelt down beside the hole, looking at it thoughtfully. "Some kind of focused thermal ability," she mused. She looked up at Sage, "Does the signature resemble anyone's known powers?"  
  
Sage studied it for a moment thoughtfully, "There is a remarkable similarity to Havok's recorded abilities."  
  
"Too bad he's MIA," Bishop noted. His eyes widend as he picked up a piece of metal, bent oddly by powerful magnetic forces. "Polaris," he mused softly.  
  
"She was spotted on one of the few good images we got," Wisdom reported.  
  
"Intentionally, I wonder?" Rogue mused softly.  
  
"That's a good question," Kitty admitted. "Well, let's see where they went," she leapt into the hole and dropped down to the floor below. The others quickly followed her down, though Wisdom grumbled a bit.  
  
"Not as young as I used to be," Pete muttered, but he was smiling slightly.  
  
"I seem to remember you keeping up with me in Excalibur," Kitty noted.  
  
"I really don't like to see them together," Rogue muttered to Bishop.  
  
Bishop smiled slightly, "Notice the way she keeps a distance with him? And how akward he is? I rather doubt you have much to worry about."  
  
"Maybe," Rogue sighed.  
  
Another level down and a short walk later, the group found themselves standing by the cold storage vault for genetic samples. Sage brought one of the computers nearby online, "Badly corrupted data, but it should be fixable."  
  
Sage typed away briskly, working with astonishing percision. Kitty looked over her shoulder a moment, the logged on to a nearby station to assist her. They worked together smoothly, in near silence puncuated only be an admiring, "Nice code," from Kitty.  
  
"Thank you," Sage bowed her head in reply.  
  
"Got it," Kitty exclaimed. The vault door opened, and certain storage slots slid open. "According to the inventory system, materials were taken from these slots," Kitty said.  
  
"Nate Grey," Sage read, "Rhane Sinclair, Logan, Douglas Ramsay, Kitty's, Rogue's, Alex Summers, Scott Summers, Jean Grey..." she trailed off, leaving even names more unread.  
  
"Is this the only place they hit?" Rogue blinked, "What about the Xavier Protocols?"  
  
An odd look crossed Kitty's face, "Think about it, love. The Protocols are out of date by now, but these samples... in the wrong hands, they could be deadly."  
  
"Mr. Sinister's, maybe?" Wisdom offered.  
  
Sage looked thoughtful, "Did any images of Hank McCoy come up on the security footage?"  
  
"Yeah, when they broke in," Wisdom blinked, "I thought it was someone using an image inducer or something."  
  
"McCoy," Bishop growled, "the Dark Beast." He shook his head, "He was an expert on enhancing mutants with the DNA of others."  
  
"Which elevates this from a simple break in," Rogue said grimly, "to a major crisis."  
  
Sage returned to the computer console, typing thoughtfully. "Kitty," she said softly, "something else was put in here, other than the virus."  
  
"What is it?" Kitty walked to her side.  
  
"A message, with a lock keyed to your palmprint," Sage accessed the message.  
  
Kitty lay her hand against the screen, and an image appeared. "Sakura," Kitty recognized the assasin almost immediately.  
  
The white haired woman was standing in front of a blank background, giving no clue to where she recorded the message. "X-Men, you've just had your first encounter with the Brotherhood. There will be others," Sakura said simply. A slight smile appeared on her face as she said, "I look forward to our next encounter. Catch me if you can... Kitten."  
  
With that, the message ended.  
  
"Friend of yours?" Wisdom asked dryly.  
  
"Tried to kill me once," Kitty sighed, "and obviously she has some other agenda as well."  
  
"And she knows a hell of a lot about us," Rogue frowned. Sage raised her eyebrow, and Rogue added, "Kitten is what Storm used to call Kitty. If Sakura knows that.."  
  
"What else does she know?" Sage nodded thoughtfully.  
  
"We're going home," Kitty said grimly. She met each oth their eyes, "Sage, get a dowenload of all the security footage they have. Bishop, time to play cop. If you can find any evidence about who was behind this, I'll kiss you."  
  
"Hey," Rogue exclaimed, pretending to be upset as the two other X-Men headed off.  
  
"Platonically, of course," Kitty smirked. She smiled at Rogue, "Do a fly-by of the island, try to trace their route inland. Look for any traces of who else might be with them."  
  
"Got it," Rogue nodded. She kissed Kitty on the cheek and whispered, "What about you?"  
  
"I get to grill Mr. Wisdom," Kitty whispered back, "I get the feeling there's more going on than he's telling." The stepped apart, and Kitty smiled, "Good luck."  
  
"C'mon," Wisdom smiled at her, leading Kitty outside to look at the sea.  
  
"Why are you here, Pete?" Kitty asked him quietly.  
  
Wisdom looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. "You know that Hand cadre that attacked you guys in Australia? They've been wiped out, literally in a matter of days," he said simply.  
  
"Sakura?" Kitty raised an eyebrow.  
  
"That'd be my guess," Wisdom nodded. "We didn't even have a name to attach to her until your little message, but Interpol had a few images. There's been some interesting deaths of polititians, arms sales, and other activities, but nothing they could firmly pin on her," he admitted.  
  
"Think she's working for McCoy?" Kitty asked.  
  
"From what little security footage I've seen, it looked more like he was working for her," Wisdom shrugged.  
  
"The assasinations and arms sales," Kitty narrowed her eyes, "were they generating political unrest or causing wars?"  
  
"Yeah, why?" Wisdom blinked.  
  
"Guess it makes sense he wouldn't lay low forever," Kitty murmured.  
  
"Who, Pryde?" Wisdom demanded.  
  
"Stryfe," Kitty said grimly.  
  
Sakura looked up to meet Stryfe's gaze, standing in his chambers beneath the Australian outback. She shook her head gently, "No, thank you, sir." A slight smile, "I would prefer to defeat Shadowcat without physical enhancements."  
  
"As you wish," Stryfe smiled.  
  
"There is another's DNA I am interested in, however," Sakura gently drew a different vial out of the container.  
  
Stryfe read the name and nodded thoughtfully. "As devious as ever, Sakura," he said admiringly as he returned the vial marked 'Douglas Ramsay' to it's slot.  
  
"I'll send McCoy to you, sir," and with that Sakura left silently.  
  
The Dark Beast came in a few moments later, a broad, cheerful smile on his face. Looking at him, it was easy to forget the cruelty McCoy could be so easily capable of. "You rang?" he asked.  
  
"I want you to map my DNA structure," Stryfe ordered, "then compare it with another."  
  
"Who's?" McCoy asked.  
  
"Nate Grey," Stryfe answered simply. "The X-Man lacks the protective limiting factor on his powers that I and Cable possess. I would be interested if you can determine the genetic factors that caused this, so that I could gain that power," he said cooly.  
  
"I'll get right to it," McCoy smiled. He paused, "You do realize that you'll risk burning out like our young Mr. Grey, right?"  
  
"If I could destroy the Summers clan and crush the dream," Stryfe smiled at him bleakly, "it would be worth it." 


	21. Seventeen

Part Seventeen  
  
Kitty excused herself from Pete Wisdom as soon as she possibly could manage it, quickly collecting her teammates. At their questions she just tersely replied, "We're heading back, now."  
  
"All right," Rogue said firmly as Kitty smoothly brought the jet into the air and then kicked in the afterburners to send them rocketing across the sky, "what's going on?"  
  
"Looks like an old friend of ours might just be back," Kitty said, keeping her attention fully focused on her flying.  
  
"Who?" Bishop asked from his seat just behind them.  
  
Kitty looked back at the other woman in the cabin, "You already know, don't you Sage?"  
  
Sage nodded, her own expression grim, "Stryfe."  
  
"Give the lady a prize," Kitty said grimly, "I figure Sakura and the Brotherhood are working for him. Which means we need to let Storm and the others know about this, fast."  
  
"You're actually worried," Rogue noted softly, so that only Kitty could hear.  
  
Kitty nodded slightly, "I got bored once, read through his data file. It's pretty scary reading. He's certifiably nuts, and is a telekinetic more powerful than Jean Grey herself. I don't even want to think about what he could do to someone with that kind of power."  
  
Rogue reached out and gently put her hand over Kitty's on the controls, "We can deal with this, love. That, I promise you."  
  
Kitty smiled at her, "Thanks."  
  
The trip back to Australia was mostly silent, each X-man lost in their own private thoughts. They returned to the beach house as quickly as possible, their friends waiting for them outside.  
  
Heather didn't wait for Sage to say hello, she just crushed the slim dark haired woman to her as she said, "I was worried about you."  
  
A blushing Sage smiled up at the blonde, "It's good to see you, too."  
  
Ororo just had to smile at that. She noticed Kitty's grave expression and asked her, "What's the situation on Muir Isle?"  
  
"Muir Isle may just be the tip of the iceberg," Kitty said softly.  
  
"And we're the Titanic," Bishop added.  
  
"We'd better go inside," Kitty added, "there's a lot to talk about." She and the others who had gone to the island gave Storm a summary of the situation, and a quick and dirty council of war was soon underway in the living room.  
  
Sage used the projection system to give a refresher to her teammates, as well as to inform the two new members, "Stryfe is a clone, created in the far future from the DNA of Nathan Christopher Summers, a.k.a. Cable. He was raised by Apocalypse, intended to be the host for that immortal's essence, but Nathan, along side Scott Summers and Jean Grey, was able to stop the transference and destroy Apocalypse himself."  
  
"Evil twin," Heather said dryly, "how original."  
  
Sage had to fight back a smile at that comment but continued, "Stryfe swore vengeance on all three of them for what they had done."  
  
"They saved him from being possessed, and he swore vengeance?" Raven raised her eyebrow. Ororo just smiled and shrugged at her lover.  
  
"Stryfe battled against Cable in the future, but he was never able to entirely defeat him or his allies," Sage said, "so instead he traveled back in time, to try to destroy those that inspired Cable and his forces, the X- Men. And Cable followed to try to stop him."  
  
Rogue waved a hand to get Sage's attention, "I was wondering, how long has Stryfe been operating in our time?"  
  
"It's hard to be exact," Sage said, "as Cable hasn't been entirely forthcoming about it, but for at least the past twenty years. During that time," she got back to the lecture, "he fostered international conflicts, trying to generate an era where discord and strife would rule."  
  
Bishop nodded, "I seem to recall he did some arms dealing, a few assassinations and other similar activities, right?"  
  
"Correct," Sage nodded, "but it seems that wasn't enough for him. Deciding to take a more active role, Stryfe took up his familiar suit of armor and began to operate publicly, creating the Mutant Liberation Front."  
  
"Which is when we began to be aware of him," Elizabeth nodded thoughtfully.  
  
Sage continued, "He appeared purely to be a small time operator at first, an impression that I'm sure he quite deliberately fostered. It wasn't until he disguised himself as Cable and shot Professor Xavier with a techno-organic bullet that we began to see what he was capable of. He them went on to early slay Apocalypse, kidnap Scott and Jean, and turn the x- teams against each other."  
  
"The X-Men went after X-Force," Neal murmured, "since X-Force was tied to Cable."  
  
"Cable and Stryfe battled each other in Apocalypse's Moon base, and they both appeared to have been destroyed there. But some time later Cable returned from the far future, and there was an unconfirmed report that Stryfe had somehow hid himself within Cable's mind. It's confirmed that he physically appeared to battle both Cable and the X-Man, as well as his attempt to reactivate the Prime Sentinels," Sage finished.  
  
Heather leaned forward in her seat, her expression troubled as she asked the group, "So what, exactly, does he want?"  
  
"He started out simply seeking vengeance, but his desires have grown," Ororo said softly, "now he wants to not only destroy Xavier's dream, but also each and every dreamer."  
  
There was a long moment of silence in the room as everyone tried to digest that. Finally Kitty spoke up firmly, "That's something I will not let him do."  
  
Rogue put her hand on her lover's shoulder, "I'll second that."  
  
All around the room, there was a general nodding of heads. Even Raven and Heather, their two newest teammates, seemed to be caught up in what was happening.  
  
Raven took Ororo's hand in hers and then gave it a gentle squeeze before asking, "So what do we do now, love?"  
  
"We'll contact the school, let the Professor know that Stryfe is active again. He and Jean can also try to use Cerebra to see if they can find him," Ororo answered.  
  
"When I talked to Pete Wisdom," Kitty murmured, "he said there were a lot of nasty things going on, all traceable to Sakura. Sage, could you help me try to see if there's any pattern to what's been happening?" Once Sage nodded her agreement Kitty turned to Bishop and asked him, "Can you check into the police files, too?"  
  
"No problem," Bishop smiled, "I'll call up Cat, we'll get right to it."  
  
"I'll go to my intelligence sources," Elizabeth volunteered before Kitty could ask her, "pass around the image we got of Sakura."  
  
"Now comes the hard part," Neal murmured as the others left the room.  
  
"What's that?" Heather asked him curiously.  
  
With a wry smile on his face Neal said, "Now we all get to wait around to see what the bad guys are going to do next."  
  
Out in an abandoned town in the wilds of the Australian outback, two young woman stood at the edge of the battered wooden buildings. "Ready?" Polaris asked her companion.  
  
Plasma nodded, saying simply, "Go."  
  
Polaris hurled the silvery disks in the air, and with fearsome accuracy Plasma cut them down, leaving puddles of molten metal in their wake.  
  
"Well, your hit ratio certainly has improved," Polaris started out encouragingly, "but..."  
  
Plasma sighed, "I was supposed to just generate enough energy to knock them out of the sky, not completely destroy them."  
  
"We'll try it again," Polaris floated over another set of disks.  
  
"Lorna, I can't do this," the brown haired woman growled.  
  
"Yes, you can," Polaris answered her intensely. She met Plasma's eyes, "Just think about this, one day you're going to have to get information from your father's troops. That means your going to have to take them alive!"  
  
They stood there eye to eye for a moment, and for a second it was like a spark passed between the two of them. Finally Plasma softly said, "Send the disks flying again."  
  
And so they began again.  
  
"Very interesting," Stryfe noted as he shut down the view screen. The armored figure leaned back on his chair, he had been considering asking Sakura to take up the fine tuning the powers of his various agents, but it seemed Polaris was already doing so.  
  
Sakura herself paced into the room as soon as he summoned her, her eye just a bit wary. "You called, m'lord?" the white haired woman asked.  
  
"You are aware that Polaris has taken up the training of Plasma?" he asked.  
  
"Indeed," Sakura said, "I helped arrange for that myself."  
  
Stryfe frowned slightly, "Explain."  
  
"Polaris' search for her lover Havok will only bring her so far," Sakura said calmly. "But with the strong bond forming between them, we will be able to use one as leverage against the other if needed," she stated it all quite simply.  
  
Stryfe smiled slightly, "As planned."  
  
"On our mission to the island McCoy and Feral were also showing the chemistry that you told me to expect," she noted.  
  
"Let's check on them," Stryfe activated another viewer. He stopped, and a slight smile appeared on his face, "It seems that things have progressed farther than we had anticipated."  
  
Sakura brought the image up on another screen and chuckled, seeing the two of them so... busy, atop Feral's bed. "I wonder what fur the cubs would be," she said dryly.  
  
"McCoy could probably tell you," Stryfe noted as he deactivated the view screen and leaned back in his seat.  
  
"Is he making sufficient progress in mapping out your and Nate Grey's genetic structure?" she asked, the threat to the furry mutant all in the undertones.  
  
"He's making good progress," Stryfe reassured his deadly chief assassin. Softly he added, "There are only a series of small differences that he has discovered so far, but in combination those may be quite significant."  
  
'As long as those aren't just genetic drift from cloning,' Sakura thought, but she was careful to screen that thought away. Aloud she asked him, "When will you command him to perform the enhancement on you?"  
  
Stryfe gave her a stern glance, and the assassin took a half step backward. "Remember your place," he reminded her softly.  
  
"Yes, m'lord," Sakura bowed to him submissively.  
  
To be continued... 


	22. Interlude: Sakura

Interlude: Sakura's Story  
  
Sakura left Stryfe's chambers, her face kept carefully blank of any and all emotion. Silently she moved down the many hallways, eventually accessing a lift to the long abandoned town above them. The house that she had chosen was slightly apart from all the others, and she felt satisfied that no one had dared to disturb it.  
  
The door's lock opened smoothly, and Sakura quickly paced the rooms, insuring that she was alone there. None of the traps that she set outside her home had been triggered, but one couldn't be too careful, her master always said.  
  
The rooms inside were mostly bare, only a few tastefully chosen Japanese wall hangings adding any color to the clean walls. In the bedroom a simple mat served in the place of a bed, two bowls set nearby with water in one, and the other for the burning of incense. And leaned up against the wall where the light from a window could touch upon it, a traditional red demon's mask, the sort that would be worn by a ninja.  
  
Sakura knelt down on the mat, carefully setting a stick on incense in the sand on the base of the bowl. The white haired woman lit it, breathing deep of the scent, and let herself think of the past. The past, and the reason that she was here in this place now.  
  
A foundling, she had been raised in a succession of Japanese orphanages until Sakura could afford to finally leave them in her teens. The stories were that she was a kitsune, a fox spirit abandoned upon a human's doorstep, stories that she did not always deny. It was useful, occasionally, to be thought as something just a bit more than human.  
  
And even as a small child, Sakura had a talent towards the martial arts. By her teens she had learned all that she could from the local sensei, and moved on. All across Japan she traveled, going from master to master and swiftly learning all that they could teach her. And with each one she sought to find something... more.  
  
And eventually Sakura found it in 'Ogun.  
  
Even then, 'Ogun was a legend in the underworld of Japan. The immortal demon ninja, the greatest assassin alive some said of him, he was a man that all treated with a great deal of respect. The Triads, Yakuza, the Mafia, even the Hand and their ancient enemies the Chaste all treated him with the greatest of caution. Sakura had approached him tentatively, with as much humility as she could possibly manage, and was firmly rebuffed.  
  
That very night, Sakura was attacked without warning by a band of Hand ninjas. No quarter was asked of her, and none was given as Sakura fought for her life against the assassins. In the end, she stood triumphant over their bodies, her own blood drying on her arms from cuts and wounds. The soft sound of clapping was suddenly heard, and Sakura whirled about to see 'Ogun watching her, the trademark red demon mask on his handsome face.  
  
The Hand had been a test, and by destroying them Sakura had passed.  
  
'Ogun accepted her as his student that night, and the next morning the training had begun. A hard taskmaster, 'Ogun pushed her to her very limits, but in the first month alone he far surpassed any of Sakura's previous teachers. She learned the tricks of the body, how to dull pain and heal injuries by the force of one's will. And how to turn such techniques against an enemy.  
  
The pathways of the mind were the next set of lessons. 'Ogun taught Sakura to slip unseen into the thoughts of another, to bend and twist those thoughts to her own will. How to trick and deceive the perceptions, even a kind of psychic invisibility were all eventually available to her. And even greater techniques were promised to her.  
  
And the fighting training continued onwards.  
  
Occasionally, 'Ogun would lend Sakura out to one of his allies, to accomplish simple jobs for them . A Yakuza needed to die, but quietly. He mysteriously died, choking to death on his food. A politician began to make some inconvenient demands for reform, and a mysterious accident left him dead at the bottom of the stairs. And in all of them, no foul play was suspected.  
  
A tired Sakura would return to their home, a servant would prepare them dinner, and they would sit and talk softly as they ate. 'Ogun rarely spoke of his own past, instead of great fighters and opponents that he had faced in battle. Sometimes he would speak of his former students, and very rarely he talked about Logan.  
  
Sakura got the strong impression from him that Logan was the one that got away. 'Ogun would speak of him quite fondly, the brawler from the west who had sought to tame his primal savagery with the ways of the samurai. A great fighter, strong both of will and of courage, who had left him and his training for some reason. But 'Ogun did not seem vengeful, exactly, instead he simply sounded just a bit regretful about it.  
  
She was out on one of her jobs when 'Ogun had to go out to attend a meeting with a boss of the Yakuza, an old friend of his. When Sakura returned she found that they had a guest, a westerner. The American, Katherine Pryde. Kitty.  
  
When 'Ogun expressed his desire to train the girl in the way of the ninja she was dubious about the idea, though of course she didn't show it. He was her master, she had to support him in all things. Kitty's phasing gift shed some light on his decision, and when she learned of the child's connection to Logan, all became clear.  
  
'Ogun stripped Kitty's mind down, reverting her to her very childhood, then he slowly began to build her back up again over the space of several days. And with each and every step Sakura was there, to be her sparring partner or whatever else that 'Ogun needed her to be. As they fought, she came to know Kitty's body, the capabilities and limitations of the just budding teenager, and Sakura was amazed. There was so much untapped potential there!  
  
And each of those nights, Kitty and Sakura would lay together on her bed. Sakura restrained herself, despite the pliant suggestibility that Kitty sleepwalked under, only holding Kitty close in the protection of her arms. Until that final night, before Kitty was to go out to face Logan. She stripped the unresisting girl, the herself, and they lay there together. Gently, carefully, Sakura brought Kitty to the heights of pleasure, then she guided Kitty into giving her that same pleasure in return. They lay there entwined until the sun rose, and it was time for Kitty to prepare.  
  
Kitty left that evening, to target her surrogate father Logan for death. 'Ogun waited calmly for the report, Sakura more restlessly, and she was shocked when they discovered that Kitty had failed. Even worse, she had been taken captive.  
  
'Ogun accepted the news calmly, almost as he had been expecting to hear it. He began to prepare for battle even as he ordered her to stay out of it. It was a matter of honor now, between himself and his former student. Like any good student, she was forced to agree.  
  
Like a cat Sakura slipped out to watch over Kitty. Logan trained her hard in the wilds, driving her both body and mind to be ready to face some battle ahead. And as she watched, she wondered if Kitty remembered her, if those memories warmed her at night like they did Sakura.  
  
Unable to resist the temptation any longer, Sakura arranged it so that they passed each other on a busy country street. And Kitty walked right on by her, not a flicker in those dark eyes. It was obvious that Kitty did not remember anything, that the enchantment 'Ogun had held her under had clouded those memories. The pain stabbed her like a knife, and for a moment Sakura was tempted to strike at the unknowing Kitty.  
  
But she thought that her sensei 'Ogun would likely take that to be interference in his upcoming duel with Logan as well.  
  
But it was Kitty, not Logan, that 'Ogun faced in battle, as he attempted to slay Logan's love Mariko and his adopted daughter. They fought through the office building, Kitty's phasing and basic skills against 'Ogun's years of experience. Finally, it came down to a battle of wills between them, and Sakura was deeply shaken to see Kitty win that battle.  
  
Logan arrived before 'Ogun could slay the insolent little girl, and their battle was one that would become legend. They were so evenly matched it was frightening, but in the end Logan unleashed a bezerker fury that even 'Ogun could not withstand. Finally the red demon mask was crushed in Logan's hands, the dust spread across his former sensei's body.  
  
After they were gone Sakura carefully gathered up his body in her arms, taking it away to be buried with the honor that he deserved. Over 'Ogun's grave she softly swore her vengeance, not on Logan, knowing that her master's very spirit would pursue him from beyond the grave to the gates of hell itself, but instead on Kitty Pryde.  
  
Kitty, who's failure had betrayed 'Ogun. Kitty, who had rejected her sensei's wishes. Kitty, who had forgotten all about Sakura. That final sin, Sakura had vowed to herself silently, would be the one that Kitty would come to regret the most dearly.  
  
Sakura left Japan, traveling the world to develop her skills further even as she kept tabs on her enemy. She kept track of Kitty's development, ad felt pleasure as more and more the girl's potential was finally being realized. And during that time, Sakura made contact with... him. Stryfe.  
  
Stryfe had power, as well as great resources available to him. Resources that would be very useful to Sakura in her plans to face Kitty. As she came to know Stryfe she felt a kindred hatred in him, a passion to destroy that almost rivaled her own. Their needs dove-tailed quite nicely, him seeking to destroy the X-Men, her seeking to slay a member of that team. So she gained his confidence, rising in his employ to become one of his most trusted agents.  
  
With a little smile Sakura snuffed out the incense thinking, 'And now it's early time. 'Ogun, your vengeance is nearly at hand.' She smoothly stood, stretching out, and felt a dull ache within her, an ache wishing to be filled.  
  
She left the ghost town quietly, traveling to Sydney via her own methods. Sakura found the place easily, having visited the Rose a few times since arriving in Australia. She was escorted to one of the many private tables, feeling pleasure at the concealment the fabric blinds provided.  
  
Occasionally, Sakura would look up at the painted roof and chuckle softly at the erotic images presented there. 'A bit unimaginative,' she thought, 'but amusing none the less.' A former bordello, now operating as a lesbian run restaurant had a certain kind of poetic irony to it.  
  
"Miss Sakura?" a quiet voice asked.  
  
"Yes," Sakura smiled as she gestured the lady to a seat. She looked the girl over, thinking, 'Just what I ordered.'  
  
She was a slim, athletic girl, just a bit shorter that Sakura herself. Long brown hair flowed over her shoulders, and she looked cutely smart. "Beauties Unlimited sent me over," she smiled at Sakura, "my name is..."  
  
"Would you mind," Sakura asked her quietly as she sipped her drink, "if I just called you by another name for tonight?"  
  
"That's quite all right," the girl smiled.  
  
"Then I think I will call you," Sakura reached out, gently stroking along the cheek, "Kitty."  
  
To be continued...  
  
Authors Note: Based loosely around the Kitty Pryde and Wolverine six issue mini-series. I don't think they ever mentioned if 'Ogun had any other students, so this story doesn't violate continuity too badly. I wanted to give Sakura a more personal reason to be going after Kitty... 


	23. Eighteen

Part Eighteen  
  
"Deathstrike," the voice said quietly.  
  
Yuriko turned to look at the blonde maid, only to see her form shift and blur, becoming a dark skinned, red-haired figure that she instantly recognized. "Mystique," she nodded regally, bracing herself subtlety for any possible attack.  
  
Raven Darkholme nodded slightly, "I come in peace."  
  
Yuriko looked a bit skeptical, but seemed willing to wait and see. "What can I do for you?" she asked the mutant curiously.  
  
"Stryfe has returned," Raven said simply.  
  
"What?" Yuriko growled, her surprise causing her finger blades to extend involuntarily.  
  
"Just thought you should know," Raven turned to leave.  
  
"And his agenda this time?" Yuriko asked coldly.  
  
"We don't know," Raven said simply, "we've only tangled with his agents so far."  
  
"When you do know," and Yuriko's voice came out in a deadly purr, "contact me. I have a score to settle with the one who attempted to violate me."  
  
"We'll contact you," Raven nodded firmly before slipping out of the room in the maid's form once again. She made her way down the Sydney hotel's hallway before finding a private room that was empty. She unlocked the door and stepped inside, with a tap of her fingers activating her com- badge. "Did you get all of that?" she asked.  
  
Ororo's voice came through loud and clear, "It seems that Deathstrike still bears a grudge against Stryfe. I just hope we don't need to use her against him."  
  
"So do I," Raven admitted. She had been the one to suggest approaching Yuriko, but from what she had read, she didn't actually trust her much. Still, if Stryfe did try to pull something big, they might need all the allies they could get.  
  
"Jean will be contacting me soon," Ororo added, "so collect Heather and Sage and get them back here. I don't want to risk any of us being attacked solo."  
  
Raven felt a sudden surge of jealousy at the very idea of Ororo talking with Jean, a woman she felt certain had been Ororo's lover once. But she quelled that response, answering evenly, "Then I'll see you soon, love."  
  
"See you," Ororo cut the connection as she felt the slight tickle at the back of her head that signaled an telepathic contact. She saw a bit of haze first, a slight shimmering, then the image of a redheaded telepath appeared in front of her.  
  
"Ororo," Jean smiled slightly, "it's good to hear from you again. How's Raven?"  
  
Ororo found herself blushing slightly. She had finally admitted to Jean that yes, she and Raven were lovers, so she certainly expected to get some teasing. "She's fine," she answered with as much dignity as possible.  
  
Jean smirked, "Just fine?"  
  
"Any luck with the search?" Ororo tried to change the subject.  
  
"No joy," Jean shook her head with a sigh. "Both I, the Professor, and Emma have been scanning, but we've come up with nothing. They must be operating from a facility equipped with powerful telepathic screens," she explained.  
  
Ororo frowned, "You allowed Emma Frost to assist with the search?"  
  
Jean smiled back at her wryly, "I know that there's no love lost between you, but she's a X-man now. You need to put it behind you."  
  
"She is no X-man, not in my eyes," Ororo shook her head firmly, thinking of the abuse that she had suffered at Emma Frost's hands. It would take far more than simply donning an X-man's uniform for Ororo to extend any trust to her.  
  
Jean decided to abandon that argument for now, knowing that it was pointless to continue. Quietly, "We'll continue to do random searches, in the hopes of catching a flaw in their shields, but there's no guarantees."  
  
Ororo nodded gravely. Trying to lighten the mood a bit she smiled, "There's been some progress on the romantic front."  
  
"Oh, really?" Jean smiled.  
  
"Sage has become involved with a lifeguard here," Ororo said.  
  
"So who is he?" Jean asked eagerly.  
  
"She, actually," Ororo smirked, "Heather Cameron."  
  
Heather sighed softly in relief as Raven's disguise form came down the stairs. "About time," she took a step forward only to be stopped by Sage's gentle hand on her arm.  
  
"I think that's the actual employee that she copied," Sage explained as the pretty blonde maid fell into talking with other members of the hotel staff.  
  
"Then where is she?" Heather asked her black haired girlfriend plaintively.  
  
"Right behind you," the amused voice said from behind them. They turned to see Raven in her usual dark haired human form shaking her head with a smile, "You two really aren't very suited to this sort of covert work, are you?"  
  
"Oh yeah," Heather agreed, "I'll quite happily leave that sort of stuff to you and Sage, thanks. Not my style at all."  
  
"I'd much rather have you saving me anyway," Sage smiled up at the blonde lifeguard, taking her by the arm possessively.  
  
"And you've very good at it," Raven agreed, remembering assisting Heather on a lifesaving adventure a few weeks ago. The three women left the hotel together, climbing into the jeep outside manned by Kitty and Rogue.  
  
"How did it go?" Kitty eagerly asked as Rogue started up the jeep and then pulled them into the heavy morning traffic.  
  
"She'll be there to help if we need her," Raven smiled.  
  
"Good," Sage murmured, "I thought that she might still bear a grudge over Stryfe's trying to use her advanced cybernetic systems to reactivate the Prime Sentinels."  
  
"And you didn't have any trouble?" Rogue asked.  
  
There was an odd tone in her voice as she said that, a tone Kitty instantly recognized. Rogue had been worried about her mom, even though she wasn't going to show it. Kitty gently rested her hand on Rogue's arm, giving her a comforting smile.  
  
"No problems," Raven quickly reassured her daughter, also knowing her daughter pretty well. "She extended her claws once, but more out of surprise than anything else," she added.  
  
"Good," Rogue nodded firmly, "because if she had actually tried to hurt you, I'd..."  
  
"We'd," Kitty corrected, tossing Raven a grin before adding, "I gotta watch out for my mother-in-law, after all."  
  
Raven smiled back, "Thanks." She looked thoughtful, "If I'm your mother-in-law, and I'm involved with Ororo, does that make her your mother- in-law, too?"  
  
Kitty had a distinctly odd look on her face, "I hadn't thought of that."  
  
Heather chuckled softly at the expressions on both Kitty and Rogue's faces, and even Sage had to smile slightly.  
  
"Somehow, I'm not too surprised," Jean remarked.  
  
"Why is that?" Ororo raised her eyebrow.  
  
"I always thought that Sage had a bit of a crush on you, actually," Jean pointed out to her with a little smile.  
  
Ororo blushed, unsure if Jean was teasing her or not. "Elizabeth and Neal are still firmly together," she said, "and Kitty has been working with Elizabeth to develop her fighting skills."  
  
"Kitty's?" Jean blinked.  
  
Ororo chuckled, "No, Elizabeth's."  
  
"They're WHAT?!" Elizabeth Braddock burst out in honest surprise. Her tone of voice had her boyfriend Neal sitting up in alarm, and she gave him a reassuring smile. "Sorry," she said more quietly into the phone, "you just startled me. Thanks for the intel."  
  
Once she put down the phone Neal asked, "Is something wrong?"  
  
"Sorry about that," Elizabeth smiled. She got up from beside the phone and went over to sit down beside Neal on the livingroom couch, "Just some old business that I had thought was dead and buried a long time ago."  
  
"Do you want to talk about it?" Neal offered gently.  
  
"It seems that there's a new Captain Britain in England," Elizabeth said quietly, "and she's using the uniform that I once wore."  
  
Neal looked surprised, "You were Captain Britain?"  
  
"For a little while," Elizabeth smiled wryly. "At the time, I thought that it would be best if Captain Britain worked directly for the government. Brian disagreed, and I tried to guilt-trip him into doing it by wearing a spare uniform and calling myself Captain Britain."  
  
Neal's eyes widened, remembering something he had read in her file, "That's how you were blinded for awhile, wasn't it?"  
  
With a grim smile Elizabeth said, "I was called out by Slaymaster, a old enemy of mine and Brian's. He beat me easily, then in a final gesture of contempt blinded me." Softly, "Brian killed him for what he did, a few moments later."  
  
"If that happened to me," Neal shook his head, "I don't know what I would have done." Quite admiringly he added, "I certainly couldn't see myself putting a costume on again."  
  
"I got lucky" Elizabeth smiled, sounding pleased by his words, "Anyway, it seems that uniform fell into the hands of Black Air, and is now being worn by an agent of the Weird Happenings Organization."  
  
"What?" Neal blinked.  
  
"No, WHO," Elizabeth smirked.  
  
Neal groaned softly.  
  
"And how's Bishop?" Jean asked cautiously. She knew the man had once harbored feelings for Ororo, and was hoping that they weren't causing any trouble.  
  
Ororo laughed softly, "There's a policewoman pursuing him, actually. Sadly, he's remained oblivious so far."  
  
"That's our Bishop," Jean chuckled.  
  
Lucas Bishop approached his partner's desk warily, knowing the she had been getting a bit waspy lately. Though why rather escaped him. Looking down at the normally perky blonde he asked, "Any luck with the search?"  
  
"Lots," Cat shook her head ruefully, waving a thick sheaf of papers around, "I've gotten hits from all over the world."  
  
Bishop took the papers from her with a smile, "Thanks." As he rifled through them he commented, "I really owe you one for this."  
  
"You could," Cat said with a dangerous little smile, "take me out to dinner tonight in thanks."  
  
Bishop blinked in surprise, about to open up his mouth to explain that he just couldn't, when he say the disappointed look on her face. 'It's only dinner,' he thought to himself before saying aloud, "All right, dinner it is."  
  
The grin that lit up Cat's face made it all worth it, somehow. "Great," she laughed, "we'll head out after work then."  
  
"Shouldn't I go home and change?" Bishop asked.  
  
Cat chuckled, "I'm not giving you a chance to change your mind."  
  
Jean's mental image began to fade out as she said, "We'll do all that we can to find Stryfe. That, I promise you."  
  
"Thank you," Ororo got out before she completely disappeared.  
  
To be continued... 


	24. Nineteen

Part Nineteen  
  
McCoy entered Stryfe's chambers cautiously, then waited for a few moments for him to be noticed. He looked up at the monitors scattered about the room's walls, showing images from Xavier's school, members of the X- Men, and especially of Cable, Scott Summers, and Jean Grey.  
  
"What is it?" Stryfe said coldly.  
  
"The mapping of your and Nate Grey's DNA has been completed," McCoy reported, keeping his voice carefully level. It wouldn't do to anger someone with Stryfe's telekinetic powers.  
  
"And your conclusions?" Stryfe asked quietly.  
  
"I believe I have isolated the differences in your genetic structures," McCoy said calmly, "and that it may be possible to alter your genetic structure to match his."  
  
Stryfe rose from his throne to descend to McCoy's side. "If you begin the treatments now," he smiled coldly, "how long until they are completed?"  
  
"A week," McCoy answered confidently, "with a few days added for you to fully adapt to the changes that will come."  
  
"Then let us begin," Stryfe said regally. They walked down the hallway together and he added, "McCoy?"  
  
"Yes?" the gray furred beast answered.  
  
"If you attempt to double cross me, you won't live to regret it."  
  
In a deserted park in the city of Sydney, Australia, Kitty was looking more than mildly peeved. "I don't really have time for this right now," she addressed the group of four costumed men who were spread out in front of her.  
  
"Make time," one exclaimed dramatically, "for we are... the Killer Elite!"  
  
"No, you're Razorfist in a different costume," she scowled, "and that's Toad over there." She waved at the other two, "And I don't even know who they are."  
  
In a French accent one man exclaimed, "I am Bartoc, the leaper!"  
  
"Leper?" Kitty raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Leaper!" Bartoc corrected her irritably.  
  
"Whatever," Kitty shrugged. She looked over at the other man in black and red, "And whom might you be?"  
  
"Speed Demon," he said proudly.  
  
"A super speedster, huh?" Kitty looked impressed. She turned back to Rogue, "This may take a minute, honey."  
  
"Have fun," Rogue grinned.  
  
In a bit less than a full minute later a unruffled Kitty was walking away from her four pitifully groaning opponents, dusting off her casual clothes off as she went. "I didn't even have to break a sweat," she sighed mock sadly.  
  
"I was impressed with the way you tripped that super speedster," Rogue offered. It had been pretty damn funny, watching the poor guy plow face first into the dirt.  
  
Kitty smirked, "That was good, wasn't it?" She sighed softly, "And at least it took my mind off trying to figure out where I know Sakura from."  
  
"You tried meditating on it, and it didn't work, right?" Rogue asked. Kitty shook her head so she suggested, "Have you thought of asking Jean for help?"  
  
"Won't work," Kitty said simply.  
  
"Why?" Rogue looked surprised.  
  
"Jean went into my head once, because she was worried 'Ogun might have left some kind of psionic land mine or something," Kitty explained. "She didn't find anything wrong."  
  
"Then I guess we move on to the Professor himself," Rogue speculated.  
  
"Not.. exactly," Kitty hesitated for a moment, then she came out with, "I was actually going to ask Emma Frost for help, first."  
  
"What?!" Rogue blurted.  
  
"I knew you were going to say that," Kitty sighed. They passed by a park bench, and Kitty waved Rogue to a seat before sitting down beside her. "I'd trust the Professor and Jean with my life," she said quietly, "but both of them are too nice for this job."  
  
"I hope you're going to explain that," Rogue said, "and what it has to do with you going to Emma Frost for help."  
  
"Both the Prof. and Jean are going to be very cautious going into my head, being careful not to injure me while they look for the cause of the mental block," Kitty said softly. Her gaze hardened, "That's something that I can't afford now, especially since I think it may be my own subconscious mind that's blocking the memories."  
  
"And you think Emma's ruthless streak might be enough to help you beat your own subconscious," Rogue said thoughtfully.  
  
"That's the plan," Kitty agreed.  
  
"I don't like it," Rogue frowned, "I don't like it at all."  
  
"Neither do I," Kitty agreed, "but I don't see any other way."  
  
"I could try to stop you," Rogue threw a sidelong glance at Kitty.  
  
"You won't, though," Kitty said softly. She smiled slightly, "The same way I wouldn't stop you from doing something that you thought you had to do."  
  
"You fight dirty, Pryde," Rogue grumbled, but she was smiling slightly. "All right, but when you do this I'm going to be right there keeping an eye on you," she said firmly.  
  
"Wouldn't have it any other way," Kitty agreed.  
  
Two young women passed them on the path, and Kitty frowned slightly. 'They looked awfully familiar...' she thought, then shook her head.  
  
"That was just a bit too close," Polaris said softly as they kept walking away from where Kitty and Rogue were talking. The casually dressed women were both careful not to rush, so as to not to draw any undue attention to themselves.  
  
"The image inducer's working fine," Plasma reassured her softly, "I bet your own mother wouldn't recognize you."  
  
Polaris reached up, brushing brown hair back with a little smile, "It's just a bit odd when I'm used to it being green."  
  
"You look good either way Lorna," Plasma offered softly.  
  
"Thanks," Polaris blushed slightly. "I'm glad you suggested we come into town, we could use a break. And things are getting a little tense back at base," she finished softly.  
  
"Oh, yes," Plasma agreed.  
  
"You know," Polaris said softly, "you've never really told me your name."  
  
Plasma blushed slightly, "Sorry, I don't really use my family name anymore." Her mouth thinned into a hard line, "I don't like being connected to my father in any way."  
  
"What would you like me to call you?" Polaris asked softly.  
  
Plasma pushed her own long brown hair back, the muscles of her arms rippling, "Linda, then. Is that all right?"  
  
"That's fine," she smiled and offered her hand, "Hi Linda, I'm Lorna."  
  
Linda laughed and shook it, "Nice to meet you, Lorna."  
  
"So what do you want to do now?" Lorna asked cheerfully.  
  
"Lets go get some lunch?" Linda asked.  
  
"Why not," Lorna slipped her arm into Linda's and they walked off together.  
  
Back at the beach house Kitty and Rogue went up to their bedroom quietly, feeling a bit grateful that most of the team were still out. Rogue sat down on the bed as Kitty picked up the phone and dialed a personal number she had been given many years ago.  
  
"This is Emma," the cool voice answered.  
  
"Ms. Frost," Kitty said softly, "it's Kitty."  
  
"Katherine," Kitty could almost hear Emma smile on the other end as she continued, "it's been a long time." Quietly, "I rather doubt this is a social call."  
  
"And why is that?" Kitty asked with a smile.  
  
"Because I'm well aware how much Ororo disapproves of me," Emma answered her wryly.  
  
"Could you mind link with me?" Kitty asked, "It might be easier to explain that way."  
  
"Of course," Emma answered, then the phone clicked to disconnect. There was a shimmer, and the blonde X-Man appeared before them, the telepathic image garbed in her white leather uniform.  
  
"She here?" Rogue asked softly.  
  
"You can't.." then Kitty shook herself. "I forgot the problems you and telepaths have. Emma, can you link with Rogue too?"  
  
"Done," Emma smiled. She looked at Kitty intently, "Does this relate to the Stryfe matter that Storm brought to the Professor's attention?"  
  
"Indirectly. He has an assassin named Sakura working for him, and I'm almost certain I've met her before. But there seems to be a block in my memories," Kitty shrugged.  
  
"And since Jean and the Professor haven't spotted it before," Emma mused, "you want someone unfamiliar with your mental landscape to try." She looked thoughtful, "And my reputation for ruthlessness couldn't hurt, either."  
  
"Pretty much what I was thinking," Kitty nodded.  
  
"Just don't go too far," Rogue said softly to Emma. "You hurt her, and I will fly to the States to make you regret it," she vowed.  
  
Emma didn't seem too bothered by her threat, "Understood." She looked over at Kitty and simply said, "Let's go." The telepath's projected image seemed to vanish, and Kitty stiffened, standing almost like a statue.  
  
The mindscape formed around Emma as she gazed about thoughtfully, quickly getting her bearings. A Japanese village mixed with western imagery, science fiction novels, complex mathematics, it was an unique place to say the least.  
  
"What took you?" Kitty smiled, garbed in her blue and black X-Men uniform. They moved on into the mindscape together as Kitty asked, "Where do you want to start?"  
  
"Sakura is a Japanese name," Emma shrugged, "so we'll focus there first."  
  
They walked through Kitty's memories in reverse, from the dragon attack on Tokyo, to Mariko and Logan's attempted marriage, and finally to Kitty's first visit to Japan. Her training under Logan, running through thick snow, preparation of mind and body. The battle with Logan, sai's flashing in her hands. A flash of gray, and her captivity by 'Ogun...  
  
"Wait," Emma cried.  
  
"What?" Kitty looked at her in surprise.  
  
"You didn't see it," Emma murmured, calling up that gray area. Instead of a image, a door appeared before them both, large, oak and barred.  
  
"Something from my training under 'Ogun," Kitty murmured, reaching for the door. She sensed something, and threw herself and Emma back roughly to avoid throwing stars.  
  
"You will not pass!" a voice cried out in unaccented Japanese. Standing above the barrier was a ninja, dressed in flowing black and wearing a traditional demon's mask.  
  
"I must know what lies behind there," Kitty replied in the same tongue.  
  
"To do so you must pass me," the ninja said simply.  
  
"So be it," Kitty seemed to vanish.  
  
The ninja leapt and they met in midair, each holding a set of sai and striking swiftly. Unable to breech the other's guard they switched to katana, the long swords flashing. Again and again they attacked, each unable to defeat the other.  
  
"Kitty!" Emma cried.  
  
"Yes?" Kitty parried even as she spoke.  
  
"That's another aspect of you," Emma yelled, "The part of you that wants to keep what ever is behind that door sealed away."  
  
The ninja stepped back, reaching up to take her mask off. "The sensei is wise," the other Kitty said softly. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and her eyes were dark and intense. "You're not ready to face this," she said to Kitty softly.  
  
"I have to be," Kitty said to her other firmly, "she's threatening my friends." She looked back at Emma, "How do I beat myself?"  
  
"You don't," Emma answered softly, "you accept."  
  
Kitty met her eyes a moment, then nodded. She ran at her other self, her twin raised her blade, and Kitty impaled herself on it. "No more," she grabbed her twin's shoulders, feeling them flow together, "we don't have the time."  
  
In moments there was only one figure standing there. Emma held her breath, watching Kitty holding the demon mask in her hands. She brought them together, crushing the mask to dust as Kitty looked up at her with a weary smile.  
  
"Shall we?" Emma gestured to the door.  
  
Kitty stepped forward, placing a hand on it. There was a flare of while light, and Emma found herself forcibly flung out of Kitty's mind, back in Kitty and Rogue's room. Rogue jumped up off the bed, catching her swaying lover before she fell.  
  
"What happened?" Rogue barked at Emma.  
  
"It's all right," Kitty smiled up at Rogue weakly, "I'm fine."  
  
"Kitty broke through the memory block," Emma explained to Rogue, "but it may have been a bit of a shock to her system." She smiled at Kitty, "You'll likely need some time to fully digest what you've just regained."  
  
"Thank you," Kitty said quietly.  
  
Emma smiled back, "You're welcome." With that she simply disappeared.  
  
"You don't look good," Rogue said to her softly.  
  
"A bit of a surprise," Kitty said softly. "We'd better talk to Ororo, she's going to want to know this," she added.  
  
"Know what?" Rogue asked.  
  
A grim little smile, "Sakura was 'Ogun's other apprentice, for one."  
  
To be continued... 


	25. Twenty

Part Twenty  
  
After dropping her first bombshell about her and Sakura training together Kitty stopped Rogue from signaling the others with a gentle hand on her arm. "There's something else I have to tell you about, first," she said softly.  
  
Rogue looked down at her lover in concern, "Are you... what's wrong?"  
  
"While I was under 'Ogun's mind control," Kitty almost looked like she was forcing herself to speak, "Sakura had sex with me."  
  
There was a long moment of silence as Rogue digested that little fact, then she softly asked, "Did she rape you?"  
  
"Not exactly," Kitty sighed, "but I certainly wasn't in my right mind at the time."  
  
Rogue clenched her hand into a shaking fist as she hissed, "I'll kill her!"  
  
Kitty gently put her hand on Rogue's, "No, you're not." She met her gaze calmly, but a fire glittered in her eyes, "I'll be the one who'll be facing Sakura."  
  
Rogue puffed out a breath, letting her fist uncurl, "All right. But if you get into any trouble, it'll be my turn."  
  
Kitty smiled slightly, "Then I guess I better not get into trouble."  
  
Out in the abandoned outback town, Sakura stood in front of the sealed lab doors. "McCoy and Lord Stryfe will remain locked in there," she explained to Feral, Polaris and Plasma, "until the treatments are complete."  
  
"Too bad," Feral sniffed. The orange catgirl looked just a bit peeved off as she added, "I was looking forward to getting a good shagging from McCoy." She smiled suddenly, "Guess I'll have to go into town for my fun."  
  
"Use an image inducer on the trip," Sakura quietly ordered her, "and do not draw any undue attention to yourself."  
  
"Aww, that takes all the fun out of it," Feral whined.  
  
"Don't play games, Feral," Sakura's voice dropped down to a deadly purr, "or you may find yourself facing me."  
  
A sexy smile appeared on Feral's face, "Spank me, momma. I've been a bad girl." With that, hips swaying she slinked out of the chamber.  
  
Sakura actually looked a bit surprised, "What was that about?"  
  
Polaris cleared her throat, "From what I've heard about her in X- Force, she was very bi. Not to mention a bit into S & M."  
  
Sakura shook her head with a sigh, "Just what I need, another complication." She looked over at Plasma, "What's Nemesis' condition?"  
  
"Still doped to the gills and sealed up in his very own containment chamber," Plasma reported. Softly she asked, "What does Stryfe plan to do with that nutbar?"  
  
"Whatever Stryfe decides," Sakura said coldly.  
  
"He isn't a tactical weapon," Polaris murmured softly, "he's a weapon of mass destruction. Stryfe will probably just drop him into a city and let him cut loose."  
  
"Simply put but essentially correct," Sakura nodded, fixing Lorna Dane with a look, "do you have any problems with that?"  
  
"No, we don't," Plasma quickly spoke up, jabbing Lorna with her elbow.  
  
"No, no problem," Lorna agreed, rubbing her sore side.  
  
"Good," with that, Sakura turned and was gone, leaving the two women alone.  
  
"Lorna, what did you think..." Plasma started.  
  
"Wait," Lorna held up a finger. She lead Plasma away from the lab, then her magnetic powers pulsed outward in a wave of green. "I just disrupted the camera's here temporarily," she explained.  
  
"We're being monitored?" Plasma blinked. She shook her head, "What were you thinking? Do you really want to cross Sakura or Stryfe?"  
  
"Maybe," Lorna said softly. "Nemesis is a killing machine, and that is exactly how they're going to use him," she said intensely.  
  
"And what about your agreement with Stryfe?" Plasma asked pointedly.  
  
Lorna sighed softly before admitting, "I'm rather beginning to doubt that he's ever going to fulfill his end of that bargain." She looked up at Plasma and said, "You might want to consider if he'll keep his deal with you, either."  
  
"And if he doesn't?" Plasma looked away.  
  
Lorna took a few steps down the dark hallway, "I think I'd be willing to watch your back for you, if you want." With that, she walked away, leaving a rather bemused looking Plasma standing there behind her.  
  
Back at the beach house Ororo was sitting down along with Kitty and the others in the large living room, Kitty softly explaining to them all about the memories that she had recovered. Her revelations about Sakura brought a moment of stunned silence to the room.  
  
"I'm so sorry, Kitten," Ororo finally murmured.  
  
Kitty smiled slightly, "I'll be fine."  
  
"No, you're not," Sage corrected her dryly, "but we'll have to deal with the trauma of what you went through later on." She leaned forward to ask, "Can you give us an idea of Sakura's skills, relative to your own?"  
  
"Back when we were training under 'Ogun we were pretty evenly matched," Kitty admitted, "but when she lead the Hand cadre, I marked her."  
  
"You have an edge," Elizabeth noted, "but it may not be a large one."  
  
"You got it," Kitty agreed.  
  
"I still can't quite get my head around all of this," Neal admitted, "you two trained together under the ninja master 'Ogun?!"  
  
"But how does this information help us now?" Bishop murmured softly from his post by the door. He was waiting for a call from Cat, and didn't want to miss it.  
  
"It gives us insight," Raven pointed out from her seat beside Ororo. She looked over at Kitty, "Why do you think Sakura is after you?"  
  
"It's not professional," Kitty said thoughtfully, "but deeply personal for her. She probably thinks she's avenging her Master's honor."  
  
"Wouldn't going after Wolvie do that?" Rogue asked curiously.  
  
"Sorry love," Kitty smiled up at her, "for 'Ogun and Logan, their fight was intensely personal. Hell, 'Ogun has even chased Wolvie from beyond the grave."  
  
"So instead she goes after the one she sees as the other betrayer of 'Ogun," Heather said to them quietly. Lifeguard looked oddly uncomfortable with the whole discussion, but she was hanging in there anyway.  
  
Sage put her hand on Heather's comfortingly before turning to the others, "So how does this effect our over all strategy?"  
  
"We could draw Sakura out," Kitty said thoughtfully, "she's probably answer a challenge."  
  
"Not until we know where the Brotherhood is based," Ororo said, "we could use it then to try and splinter their organization."  
  
"So where could they be?" Rogue murmured.  
  
"It's a shielded facility," Elizabeth said thoughtfully, "or Cerebra would have picked up on Stryfe and friends by now."  
  
"Doesn't narrow it down very much," Neal pointed out, "I've done some reading, and the Sentinel bases, Sinister, Apocalypse, all of them used shielded locations standard."  
  
"When we last encountered Stryfe," Rogue mused, "he was using a old pyramid as his base."  
  
Kitty looked at her thoughtfully, Rogue had that odd look on her face, like she almost had something. "Yes?" she prompted her gently.  
  
"For the sake of argument, lets say he's still using old bases, refitted to suit his needs," Rogue said softly, "isn't there a place in Australia that would suit him perfect?"  
  
An odd look passed over Ororo's face, then she began to curse softly, "The old Reavers base! It was shielded, had an extensive set of underground chambers, and has been abandoned since Pierce and his last band of Reavers were destroyed!"  
  
Sage went over to the computers, "Pryde, give me a hand. We're going to hack into a spysat and see if we can get some images of that piece of the Outback."  
  
Kitty bounced to her feet and followed, "Right. Should we go through Norad, NASA or try for the CSA mainframe?"  
  
"NASA," Sage answered. At Kitty's odd look she explained, "The Canadian space agency has better security than you might think."  
  
"Should I try a fly by?" Rogue asked eagerly.  
  
"Not until we get some other confirmation," Ororo shook her head, "we could spook them, otherwise. Let's see what Kitty and Sage turn up first."  
  
"To set up a base out there Stryfe had to buy and ship a lot of materials," Bishop noted, "bet that's traceable, too."  
  
"Right after we do the spysats," Sage called.  
  
"What do we do once we confirm they're out there?" Heather asked softly.  
  
"Start planning our assault," Ororo said softly, "Stryfe and McCoy have had the genetic samples of the X-Men for a substantial period of time. I can not believe they haven't used them."  
  
Within the sealed chamber it was nearly silent except for the dripping of an IV tube, feeding into the armored figure's bare arm. "I can feel it," Stryfe said softly.  
  
"Sir?" McCoy turned to him, even as he prepared another injection.  
  
"Parts of my brain are awakening, unused potentials opening up," Stryfe murmured, "I can feel my powers growing already."  
  
"And this is just the beginning," McCoy injected him cheerfully, "imagine what you'll be by the end of the week."  
  
A cold smile and Stryfe said, "What I am becoming is every Dreamer's nightmare." 


	26. Twentyone

Part Twentyone  
  
"No," Vargas said simply, looking at Sakura coldly.  
  
The white haired ninja raised an eyebrow curiously, looking at that dark haired warrior curiously. Vargas had attacked the X-Men, seeking to kill one of their number a few months ago, and Sakura had hoped to recruit him for Stryfe's cause.  
  
"I thought that you had a vendetta against the X-Men?" Sakura asked curiously.  
  
"No," Vargas shook his head, "I merely sought to cheat fate." He took a book from a nearby stand and flipped it open, revealing an simple but clear illustration. Vargas lay on the ground, defeated by the X-Man Rogue, and she raised a sword to strike him dead.  
  
"One of the Destiny diaries," Sakura murmured.  
  
"Indeed," Vargas closed the book once again. "At one time, the predictions in this tome were entirely accurate," he said calmly, "But more and more, events in the real world do not match this diary, and I no longer feel so certain of a fatal confrontation between myself and Rogue."  
  
"But I feel certain that Rogue remembers the attack you launched," Sakura reminded him pointedly, "and then there is the question of your defeat at Shadowcat's hands. Can your pride bear up under such dishonor?"  
  
"If it means preserving my life," Vargas said coldly, "yes!"  
  
"Then you are not the man I had thought you were," Sakura said simply. Soundlessly she was gone, leaving no signs of her presence there.  
  
"I wonder if you would want to know how the diary speaks of you, my dear Sakura?" Vargas said softly, and he began to laugh.  
  
Sakura slid through the shadows of the city, silently cursing the cowardice of the man she left behind her. 'Now I understand why Stryfe did not attempt to recruit him,' she thought bleakly. There was an electricity in the air, a feeling of expectation. The battle was coming, of that she felt certain, and she wanted them to be ready.  
  
At the beach house, Kitty and Sage scowled at the computer's monitor screen. "Looks like the screen over the Reaver's base is still working fine," Sage noted.  
  
"But look over here," Kitty highlighted a part of the desert just beyond the town. The picture was a few hours old, but it clearly showed two figures there. "Can we enhance the image?" Kitty asked even as she brought the image manipulation programs up.  
  
"Those two are mildly scary in front of a computer," Elizabeth murmured softly, waiting for a call to go through. She was trying to reach a friend in British intelligence to see if any major illegal weapons purchases had been made from within Australia.  
  
"Oh, yeah," Rogue agreed. Kitty was clearly a very happy hacker, but it didn't worry her too much. Sage and Kitty only seemed to get along in front of a computer terminal, the rest of the time they were merely polite. 'Wonder why?' she mused.  
  
"We'd better leave our girlfriends alone," Heather offered with a smile. She shook her head slightly, "Girlfriend. Never thought I'd be saying that in public."  
  
"Oh?" Rogue looked at her curiously.  
  
Heather shrugged, "I've had a few flings, but never seemed to settle down much." She smiled over at Sage fondly, "I guess she's my first serious girlfriend."  
  
"Looks like you picked pretty well," Rogue smiled.  
  
"Yeah," Heather agreed softly.  
  
"Bingo," Kitty crowed. She waved her hand, "Somebody go get Storm, we've hit paydirt!"  
  
"You called?" Ororo strode into the room, Raven just behind her. They went over to where Kitty and Sage were sitting, "What's news, Kitten?"  
  
Kitty gestured to the image, now magnified and enhanced on the screen. "Looks like we caught a training session, and I recognize both players," she pointed.  
  
"Lorna Dane," Sage gestured to the green haired woman on one side, then pointed at the sandy haired woman opposite her, "and Plasma."  
  
In the ghost town out in the Australian Outback Lorna Dane restlessly paced her small quarters, considering what she could do. More and more she had been feeling grave doubts about her joining up with Stryfe, and now...  
  
"I can't believe Sakura said that," Lorna sighed.  
  
Sakura had all but confirmed that Stryfe intended to use the mad villain Nemesis as a weapon of mass destruction. A living engine of destruction, with immense energy contained within his crystal containment suit, he would simply destroy all life around him. It was then that Lorna really began to grasp the evil of the being she was working for, an evil she wasn't sure she could stand.  
  
'But I can't stop him on my own,' Lorna had to admit. She knew she was powerful, with incredible magnetic abilities, but she also had her limitations. Nemesis could overwhelm her shields, not to mention the capabilities of all the others. She needed to wait for the right moment, and most importantly, she needed an ally.  
  
And there was only one candidate for that out here...  
  
Lorna left the house she had claimed for herself, moving down the dusty streets with a sense of purpose. 'Sakura's off recruiting and Stryfe and McCoy are locked up down below,' she thought, 'I'll never have a better chance to approach her.' She knocked on the door she had chosen firmly, waiting for permission to come in.  
  
Plasma opened the door, smiling with honest pleasure as seeing her standing there. "Lorna, come on in," she waved her inside.  
  
"Thanks, Linda," she said as Lorna gave the sandy haired woman a once over. Dressed in T-shirt and blue jeans she looked pretty good, especially when she smiled like that.  
  
"Decided to take me up on my open dinner invitation?" Linda asked her with a grin. The place was filled with the scent of savory food cooking, and Lorna blushed as her stomach rumbled. "Guess so," Linda chuckled softly.  
  
"I forgot to eat lunch," Lorna admitted just a bit sheepishly. With a shy smile she watched Linda move about assuredly in the kitchen, dishing up two servings of savory food then pouring them each a glass of sparkling wine.  
  
Before sitting down at the table Linda turned on the radio, raising up the volume just a bit too loud. "As long as we talk quietly," Linda murmured to Lorna softly, "we should be fine."  
  
"You read my mind," Lorna kept her voice down. She shivered slightly at the feeling of Linda's warm breath across her cheek as they leaned close to talk.  
  
"Your offer earlier to watch my back for me," Linda said to Lorna softly, but with an unusual intensity in her voice, "did you mean it?"  
  
Lorna met her eyes, feeling an odd sinking feeling once again. The more time she spent with Linda, the harder it was to remember her bond with Alex Summers. Instead, troubling dreams of her and Linda together had begun to fill up her nights.  
  
"Yes," Lorna said firmly, "I did mean it."  
  
Linda smiled slightly, "Good, because I don't think I trust Stryfe to do it for me." She reached out to put her hand over Lorna's, "But what do we do about Nemesis?"  
  
"I wish I knew," Lorna admitted. She squeezed Linda's hand gently, "I guess we just have to wait for the right moment."  
  
Linda hesitated, then surprised her by leaning over the table and gently pressing her lips to Lorna's. "And is this the right moment for us?" she asked her softly.  
  
Lorna didn't hesitate at all, instead she leaned over and returned the kiss vigorously. "You really should know," a few moments later a smiling Lorna drew back just a bit to say, "that I have no idea what to do now."  
  
Linda grinned slightly, "You think I'm experienced?"  
  
"This should be interesting," Lorna rose, tugging Linda to her feet.  
  
"Trust me," Linda pulled her enthusiastically back towards the neatly made bed, "I think we'll be able to figure it all out."  
  
"We've got visual confirmation," Kitty said to the others intensely, "I think we should move as soon as possible!"  
  
"It's nearly sunset," Ororo said quietly, "and it's going to take us time to reach the town. We'll hit them in the morning, when we're all rested."  
  
"Why do I feel like a bit player in Apocalypse Now?" Neal asked with a wry smile.  
  
Kitty opened her mouth to protest Ororo's statement, but Rogue's gentle hand on her shoulder stopped her. "Do we contact Deathstryke?" Rogue asked.  
  
"I've already sent Mystique to do so," Ororo answered them crisply.  
  
"Always a step ahead," Bishop remarked as he strode in. "I heard back from my contacts," he said to them seriously, "and if this shipment did go out to the Reaver's base they've laid in some very odd supplies out there."  
  
"Hi, Bishop," Heather waved. Her eyes twinkled, "How's Cat?"  
  
Ignoring Bishop's blush Sage asked, "Odd supplies?"  
  
"Protein rich growth medium for culturing bacteria, prosthetic parts, artificial bones, a variety of computer equipment, weapons of every type, and a shipment of S&M gear," Bishop read off the list he produced from a shirt pocket.  
  
"I don't know about the last item," Sage frowned to herself fiercely, "but I do not like the sound of that list. Not at all."  
  
"The remnants of the first generation of Reaver cyborgs are still out there," Psylocke murmured softly, "could they be using McCoy's genetic splicing techniques to revive them? Maybe with superhuman powers?"  
  
"If so," Kitty sat up, her eyes narrowing, "then there could be a lot more enemies out there than we were expecting."  
  
"Get the jet ready," Ororo said grimly, "we're moving out now." 


	27. Twentytwo

Part Twenty-two  
  
'Jean,' Ororo left the living room to stand in the quiet hallway, focusing her concentration to reach the telepath half a world away. Oddly, there wasn't any immediate answer. 'JEAN!' the african woman sent her thought out a bit more forcefully.  
  
There was an odd, almost disjointed quality to the reply that Jean finally sent back, 'Ororo, I'm a bit busy right about now!'  
  
'It's Stryfe,' Ororo replied firmly. A few scattered mental images leaked through to her, of two figures scrabling about on a bed, looking for their clothes. 'Guess I know what I interupted,' she thought with a certain amount of amusesment.  
  
'All right,' Jean finally replied, an image appearing of the beautiful redhead sitting on her bed holding a sheet around her body, 'what's going on?'  
  
Ororo's face was grim as she answered, 'We've found where Stryfe is based, he's using the abandoned Reavers Outback town.'  
  
'Do you want us to mobilize a strike team? We can be out there to back you up in only a few hours,' Jean quickly offered.  
  
'No, just keep an eye on the situation,' Ororo answered, 'if we fail, you and the others need to be ready. He'll attack the mansion after he's done here.'  
  
'Understood,' Jean nodded firmly. She hesitated for a moment before adding, 'Please be careful, I don't want to loose you.'  
  
'I'll try my best,' Ororo smiled slightly as the link was cut.  
  
Jean sat on the bed, shaking her head slightly. "This is very, very bad," the telepath muttered as another woman smoothly rose from the bed.  
  
"Agreed," Emma Frost nodded. The white haired telepath paused in pulling her clothes on before asking with a little smile, "Do you think she knew who was in bed with you?"  
  
"Maybe," Jean shrugged. She behgan to pull her clothes on, "We've got to let the Professor know, and see if we can track Scott down."  
  
"Him and the other team leaders," Emma agreed.  
  
"lets go," Jean agreed, slipping her uniform on.  
  
Before she left the rooom Emma gave Jean a slight smile, "If Ororo did know, I wonder if we could talk her into a threesome?"  
  
"Emma!" Jean slapped her arm, but the beauty only chuckled softly.  
  
Above the city of Sydney the X-men flew, the fliers carrying the other members with them. Mystique curled into Ororo's arms, "Who was she in bed with?"  
  
"I'm not sure," Ororo answered firmly. Just a bit of a blush appeared on her cheeks, "And to be honest, I'm not sure I want to think about it."  
  
Kitty spoke up from where Rogue was gently carrying her, "I used the remote access protocols to ready the Midnight Runner for takeoff."  
  
"Are we going to go pick up Deathstryke?" Sage asked curiously, Lifeguard carrying them both on metallic angel wings.  
  
"Jet first," Psylocke answered, purplish telekinetic energies glowing around her as she carried Bishop, "we can grab her on our way out."  
  
"Sounds like a plan," Ororo agreed.  
  
They dropped down to the airport together, the team moving forward to the hanger. Neal shook his head admiringly as the Mediteranian young man looked at the sleek black jet, "Is it me, or does it look like it could do Mach-2 sitting still?"  
  
Kitty grinned as they popped the hatch, the team piling inside. "Remind me to pass that on to Brian next time I see him," the brown haired girl laughed, "he'd love it."  
  
Bishop grabbed the weapons station, Sage swiftly dropping down in front of the electronic countermeasures seat. Rogue grabbed the co-pilot's seat, her white streak catching the light and waited a moment, then she turned back to yell, "Pryde!"  
  
"Right," Kitty made her way up before dropping down into the pilot's seat. She pulled the headset on before running through the preflight checklist. "If anyone's got any calls to make, now's the time," she added.  
  
Heather grabed the phone first, calling up her little brother, Davis. They talked for a few minutes, her gently reassuring him that she was going to be all right. Heatherhung the phone up, "I hope Stryfe doesn't make a liar of me."  
  
Sage reached back from her seat to lay her hand on Heather's. "You'll be all right," Sage said quietly, "I promise."  
  
"Thanks" Heather smiled.  
  
"Cat," Bishop smiled slightly, "Yeah, I can't make our date tonight." He smiled slightly as the fiery blonde complained on the other end, then shrugged, "Saving the world, you know how it is." Much more softly he added, "Love you."  
  
"Aww," Neal grinned.  
  
Bishop put the phone down before giving Neal one of his more dangerous looks. "Don't even think about it," he warned him coldly.  
  
"Ah, right," Neal paled.  
  
Kitty shook her head with a smile, finishing her preperations. Rogue looked over at Kitty, "Are you ready for this?"  
  
"No," Kitty admitted, "but that doesn't really matter. I have to confront Sakura eventually, and now's as good a time as any."  
  
Rogue set her hand on her partners, their matching rings glinting. "I'll back your play partner, no matter what," she softly reassured her.  
  
Kitty squeezed Rogue's hands between her own, "And I'll back you, too."  
  
Ororo settled into her seat beside Raven before speaking up, "Are we ready to go?"  
  
A burst of thrust pushing them all back into their seats was Kitty's answer.  
  
Yuriko paced her suite, an odd tension filling her. Something was happening, she just knew it, but what? A flash of reflecting glass caught her eye and she looked out her window only to freeze in shock. A sleek black plane, similar to a fighter design, gracefully weaved it's way through the buildings towards her own building.  
  
"Stryfe?" Yuriko murmured to her softly, shrugging off her outer clothes to reveal a simple jumpsuit underneath, her finger-blades extending smoothly. The jet came to a stop just off from her balcony, and for a moment she marveled at the skills of the pilot.  
  
A hatch in the side opened up, and Storm was revealed standing there, her hand extended. "We're going after Stryfe," she said simply, "care to join us?"  
  
Yuriko took a few steps back, turned around, ran forward to leap off the porch and into the open hatch. "Of course," the graceful asian cyborg smiled at her coolly, "I've been looking forward to it." As she made her way to a open seat she saw Kitty in the pilot seat and smiled slightly, "Of course."  
  
"What?" Heather looked at her curiously.  
  
"I was admiring the pilot's skills," Yuriko admitted, "it just seems fitting it was Pryde." She looked over at Storm, "So, do you have a plan?"  
  
The entire cabin was clearly paying attention, waiting to hear her words. "We'll deal with the Brotherhood first," Storm said crisply, "as well as deal with any restored Reaver cyborgs. Once we do that, we go after Stryfe himself."  
  
"Is he as powerful as he was when we last faced him?" Yuriko asked thoughtfully.  
  
"More, possibly," Sage answered this time.  
  
Yuriko smiled a dangerous little smile, "Good. It should make for an enjoyable fight, then."  
  
"Is it me," Rogue said softly to Kitty, "or is she starting to sound like Logan?"  
  
"It's not you," Kitty smiled back, "maybe if you fight against Wolverine long enough, you start to become like him?"  
  
"There's a scary thought," Rogue chuckled.  
  
Once they made their way out of the city itself the Midnight Runner hugged the ground, the sleek black jet flying only meters above the densely packed Earth. Sage manned the ECM station even as she softly said to Storm, "We might be able to go in undetected, but it all depends on how well Stryfe has upgraded the town's systems."  
  
"All we can do is try," Storm answered.  
  
In the command center beneath the outback town an alarm sounded. With a few flicks of switches Sakura brought the survelence systems online, looking at the silouette that was racing across the Outback towards them.  
  
"The X-men are on the move," Feral's soft purr didn't surprise Sakura, she had known the orange furred girl was lurking around, "Think they know we're out here?"  
  
"It would be a bit much of a coincidence, especially considering their covert approach here," Sakura said dryly. The white haired ninja frowned slightly, "But lord Stryfe and McCoy are still sealed away, and we don't dare disturb them."  
  
"Guess we'll just have to make do with what we have. I'll go wake Plasma and Polaris," Feral headed to the chamber door, "uncrate Nemesis, and get the Reaver-bots going."  
  
"You're being awfully helpful," Sakura looked over at the catgirl in surprise, "but I'm wondering why, exactly?"  
  
Feral looked back with a little smile, "Maybe I'm hoping for a reward later, Mistress."  
  
Sakura sweatdropped, watching her walk away with her hips swaying.  
  
A soft chime, and Sakura looked up to see a distance countdown appear on the screen. 'My confrontation with Pryde is nearly here,' she mused, 'so why do I feel so... empty, inside?'  
  
To be continued... 


	28. Twentythree

Part Twenty-three  
  
Feral paused in the doorway, looking over at the two women who were sleeping tangled up together on the small bed. The green haired Lorna Dane had her head resting on the sandy haired Plasma's chest, little smiles on both of their faces. The orange furred girl paced across the room, looking down at them thoughtfully.  
  
Feral reached out, gently shaking Lorna by the shoulder, "Wake up." The green haired girl mumbled something softly, snuggling in a bit closer to Plasma. Her claws gleamed as she raised her hand, then reached over to hold her hand just over one of the curved bottoms. She jabbed down once, then jumped backwards.  
  
"Yeow!" Lorna jerked up, looking around her wildly, her green hair messy around her face. "What the hell?" she stuttered.  
  
"Sakura sent me to get you," Feral said softly. She smiled a bit grimly, "We've got X-Men inbound, probably within minutes."  
  
Lorna watched the catgirl slink out, then looked down at the still gently snoring Linda. 'I love her,' she felt a moment of vertigo as she admitted it to herself, 'and all hell's going to break loose.' She shook her shoulder, smiling fondly as the sandy blonde looked up at her woozily.  
  
"Is it morning?" Linda asked, blinking dazedly.  
  
"The X-men are coming," Lorna said quietly. Linda shook herself, sitting up and rubbing at her eyes as Lorna continued, "We'd better get ready."  
  
"Right," Linda grabbed at her clothes, pulling her pants on smoothly. As she was wiggling into her shirt she paused, "Last night... it wasn't just fun, for me."  
  
"Me, too," Lorna agreed as she pulled her own clothes on. She smiled a bit wryly, "Is it too early for me to say I love you?"  
  
Linda moved over to where Lorna was standing, gently pressing her lips to the smaller woman's. "Not at all," Linda said softly, "I was hoping you'd say that." She smiled, "I feel the same way about you, too."  
  
Dressed, the two women headed for the command center to check in with Sakura. The slim, white haired martial artist was studying the tracking screen as a blip rapidly moved across the outback. Without turning she said, "Stryfe is still sealed away with McCoy, so we'll have to defend the town until he can emerge."  
  
Lorna quickly scanned the tactical updates, "Looks like the Reaver- bots are deploying as planned. Is Nemesis still in containment?"  
  
"For now," Sakura agreed. "He's not the most precise operative, so I'm holding him back to hit the X-Men with later," she noted.  
  
"Where do you want us?" Linda asked crisply, fully in her combat mode.  
  
"Move in on the X-Men after the Reaver-bots attack," Sakura crisply ordered, "that way Lorna can use their metal parts with her powers."  
  
"You haven't much confidence in McCoy's babies?" Plasma raised an eyebrow curiously.  
  
"No, I don't," Sakura admitted. "They're robots, no matter how enhanced, and the X-Men train against such things." Her eyes narrowed, "Get into position, please."  
  
"Got it," Lorna lead Linda out of the command center at a fast jog. Silently Sakura watched the two of them go, her expression thoughtful.  
  
"You think they're going to pull something?" Feral emerged from the shadows, the catgirl giving Sakura a seductive glance.  
  
"Probably," Sakura answered quite calmly. She felt Feral move up behind her, pressing her body up against her own. A soft breath, and a raspy tongue stroked against the back of her neck. "We'll be ready, if they do try something," Sakura said softly. She pushed Feral away from her, but with clear reluctance.  
  
Sakura activated a communication device, and McCoy's voice came through clearly, "No interruptions! We've reached a critical phase."  
  
"Can you hurry it up?" Sakura made the threat all in her tone of voice, "We've got X-Men almost sitting on our doorstep."  
  
"I'll put every effort into expediting the process," McCoy answered, then disconnected.  
  
Not that far away the sleek black jet skimmed dangerously close to the ground. Kitty gazed out the window intently, slight nudges of the controls shifting the Midnight Runner aside from the many towers of rock and the occasional man made constructions.  
  
"ETA less than two minutes," Kitty reported softly.  
  
Sage looked up from the electronic countermeasures station, "I'd like to think we've made it this far unobserved, but I don't think we should depend on it."  
  
"Reasonable," Storm agreed. The tall black woman met their eyes steadily before adding, "We'll be ready." With that, she moved into the back and addressed the other members of the team. "We should be ready to evacuate the plane at any time," she quickly briefed them, "just in case something unexpected happens."  
  
BOOM! The plane was rocked by a sudden explosion.  
  
"Like that?" Mystique swiftly reached out to grab at her lover's arm before she was thrown right off of her feet.  
  
"Thanks," Storm smiled.  
  
"We're takin' heavy fire from the ground," Rogue used the intercom to let the others know even as Kitty wrestled with the controls to try to keep the plane as steady as possible. She checked a reading, Rogue's eyes widening, "And sensors say it's superhuman power signatures!"  
  
"Let me off the plane here," Deathstryke said firmly, looking out the window at the many shadowed figures that were moving around below them.  
  
"We're moving at..." Elizabeth started.  
  
"I'll survive," Deathstryke said to her crisply, "and I may be able to distract them from continuing to fire on the plane."  
  
Storm met the Japanese woman's eyes, suddenly reminded of many similar moments dealing with Wolverine. Making up her mind she nodded, "Do it."  
  
The hatch was forced open, wind whistled by, and Deathstryke leapt out. She hit the ground hard, bouncing and rolling, but she came up with a dangerous smile on her face, her long dark hair flowing around her. She flexed her fingers, feeling them extend into the deadly metal blades that had so often been used against the X-Men.  
  
Deathstryke scanned the battlefield, quickly spotting the shambling figures that were heading for her. Once human, now mostly machine these Reavers came, odd, pulsing organic growths grafted onto them. Nerves, blood and gore traced their forms, bizarre looking but to her experienced eyes they were also clearly dangerous.  
  
One of the Reavers gestured, the growth that was attached to it's side swelled up and then darkened, and from it's hands a stream of thermal energy emerged. Deathstryke ducked as she sprinted forward, dodging yet another shot as she reached it. Her claws raked upward, tearing it open in a move that she had learned studying Wolverine. She was splattered with blood and engine oil, parts went flying, and it dropped.  
  
"One down," she murmured, Deathstryke looking up to see dozens more coming at her. "This should be fun," she twitched her blades free of gore and charged.  
  
Not far above her Kitty struggled with the Midnight Runner's controls to bring them into a controlled turn over the little outback town. She hammered the controls once before finally growling out, "We're losing flight stability."  
  
"Which means we're going down, soon," Rogue said grimly.  
  
"I'll go let the others know," Sage moved towards the back, even as the plane was rocked by another near miss.  
  
Storm nodded grimly at Sage's news, "Then we evac, now." She raised her voice, "Kitten, can you slow us down a bit?"  
  
"Already working on it," Kitty called back, "but the autopilot's down. Everyone else gets off, while I try to bring this down in an uninhabited piece of the outback."  
  
"I am not leaving you here alone," Rogue said grimly, staying in her seat while the rest of the team bailed, those with flight powers helping the others down to the ground.  
  
Kitty smiled slightly as she met her lover's eyes, knowing that Rogue wasn't going to change her mind. "All right," Kitty conceded, feeling a bit of relief as she saw the team assembling below them through her window.  
  
"You have a plan to get out of here, right?" Rogue asked.  
  
"Oh, yeah," Kitty maneuvered the damaged plane, feeling a bit of relief as it cleared a stone rise. Open, uninhabited sand stretched out in front of them, and Kitty sighed with relief. She grabbed at Rogue's hand, "Now!"  
  
Using her power at one of it's highest levels Kitty phased both women, letting them slide through the jet as it traveled onward. Hovering they saw it fall belly down to the ground, wings tearing and smoke pouring out of the engine assembly.  
  
"At least it didn't explode," Rogue clasped Kitty close to her as they flew to where the other X-men awaited them.  
  
Mystique leveled one of Bishop's guns, blasting at the robots as the rest of the team moved to disable them. "Thanks," she grinned as bishop soaked up enemy weapons fire beside her and threw it back at them, exploding the robots.  
  
Storm tossed her a smile as she threw lightning bolts into the Reavers, then using gusts of wind to throw the robots up against each other. She used her height to get a feel for the situation and had to smile. Deathstryke tore through the Reavers like a hot knife through butter, Sage and Lifeguard fighting on one flank, Psylocke and Thunderbird on the other, and finally Bishop and Mystique laying down cover fire for them all.  
  
Kitty and Rogue soared over a rise, dropping down on to the battlefield. "Fastball special," Kitty yelled with a grin, leaping up agilely on to Rogue's hand. Rogue flung her, the fully phased girl passing through the robots and shorting out all the electrical systems.  
  
Rogue ran over to where the most Reavers remained, Deathstryke right in their midst, her metallic claws gleaming. A thought and Rogue popped her own bone claws, leaping into the mob of robots and joining in reducing them to piles of wreckage. In a few moments it was all over, the last of the robots destroyed.  
  
"That was enjoyable," Deathstryke cast the ruined arm of a robot aside.  
  
'Definitely reminding me of Logan,' Rogue mused. She offered a grin, "The big fight's still coming up. The Brotherhood, and Stryfe."  
  
The metal parts littering the battlefield shifted, rising slightly, a soft green glow appearing around them. They began to float, the green glow becoming even brighter as two figures walked out of the shadows together.  
  
"Polaris," Sage murmured.  
  
Deathstryke sprinted forward, and the woman beside Polaris gestured. It was almost like watching the sun rise, so much power was called forth them focused into a single bolt. Deathstryke screamed, rolling to put out the flames. She returned to her feet much more cautiously, eyeing the two of them with a wary intensity.  
  
"Plasma," Storm recognized the young woman's powers from the datafile that Havok once compiled for the X-Men. "Spread out," she ordered, looking back at her teammates.  
  
Sage signaled Thunderbird, and the young man nodded to her slightly. Mystique moved aside slowly, gradually disappearing into the concealment of the shadows as Sage stepped forward, "Why are you doing this, Lorna?"  
  
"Awfully chummy, considering we've never even been friends," Lorna replied crisply, her eyes narrowed in anger. The green haired woman tossed Plasma a cautious look, wondering if they should risk making a move.  
  
"But we have been friends, Lorna," Storm met her eyes frankly, "and I too would like to know why you're doing this."  
  
Lorna raised her chin defiantly to answer, "It doesn't really matter, not anymore." Without really thinking about it she reached for Plasma's hand, and felt relieved when those fingers gently wrapped themselves around hers.  
  
"I'll be damned," Kitty muttered under her breath, "I didn't think that Lorna swung that way."  
  
"Think it's something in Australian water?" Rogue whispered back, and Kitty snickered.  
  
"Stand down, Polaris, Plasma," Sakura commanded, the white haired ninja standing upon a nearby rise, garbed all in white.  
  
"What are you..." Plasma looked up in surprise.  
  
Rogue's eyes widened, and tossed a look at Kitty only to see her standing there quite calmly. "Aren't you going to get her?" she asked softly.  
  
Suddenly Polaris gestured, a green glow appearing around Sakura as she yanked the woman off her feet. She tightened her magnetic grip, Sakura's form shifted, and Mystique struggled in her grasp. "What gave me away?" Mystique asked calmly.  
  
"You didn't get the voice quite right," Plasma nodded thoughtfully.  
  
Mystique made a face. 'Next time, don't try to do an impersonation based off of a recording,' she thought to herself furiously even as she attempted to wiggle free.  
  
"Neal, now!" Sage cried.  
  
Thunderbird exploded into action, bathing both Polaris and Plasma in a wave of fire. The mistress of magnetism fought to keep her grip, her powers fading suddenly, then Plasma grabbed her and yanked her backwards. Concentration broken, Mystique fell to the ground.  
  
"Heat weakens magnetism," Heather murmured, looking over at Sage admiringly, "That was pretty sharp."  
  
"Thank you," Sage blushed slightly.  
  
"You all right," Plasma picked up Polaris worriedly, her eyes wide with concern.  
  
"I'll be fine," Polaris smiled up at her comfortingly, "just a bit scorched around the edges."  
  
The figure emerged from the shadows, the orange furred catgirl giving them a withering look. "Well. aren't you two pitiful," Feral sneered.  
  
"Where's Sakura?" Plasma asked.  
  
"She's breaking out Nemesis if we don't stop them here," Feral said casually.  
  
"Nemesis?" Sage could barely hear them from where the X-Men were standing, but if she had heard right, this could be as big of a problem as Stryfe...  
  
To be continued! 


	29. Twentyfour

Part Twenty-four  
  
Plasma and Lorna exchanged a silent glance, quickly weighing what Feral had just told them. Plasma nodded to her partner slightly, and Polaris struck!  
  
"What are you," Feral yowled, as bands of metal bound her fast, yanking arms back and securing her legs.  
  
"X-men!" Plasma yelled, "We want to talk!"  
  
"What do you think?" Mystique asked Storm softly.  
  
"I don't know this Plasma," Storm frowned, "but I think I trust Polaris." She paused, "Some, anyway." With that she waved the two young women toward them, their metal clad captive floating between them.  
  
Deathstryke stood to the side, her finger-blades fully extended. It was painfully clear that the Asian samurai did not trust them, and would do what she must to prevent any betrayal.  
  
"Stryfe has a psycho named Nemesis in containment," Polaris said crisply, "according to Feral, Sakura intends to release him. He'll kill anything he sees."  
  
"He'll be furious over being held captive," Sage said to the others bleakly, "we have to stop him as soon as possible."  
  
"What are they talking about?" Thunderbird asked Psylocke softly. His Asian lover drew him aside gently, away from the others so they could talk.  
  
"Nemesis is an energy being, trapped in a suit of crystalline body armor," Psylocke explained softly. "He's immensely powerful, and a firm believer in the survival of the fittest."  
  
"All right," Storm spoke up, "here's what we'll do. Plasma, Polaris.."  
  
"No," Polaris cut her off.  
  
Plasma reached out to take Polaris' hand in hers, "We're leaving."  
  
Storm met Polaris' eyes, "Are you certain this is what you want to do?"  
  
"Yes, I am," Polaris said seriously as she squeezed her lover's hand, "I won't fight you, but I'm not helping you fight them, either." With that, Polaris swiftly lifted both women into the air, and they disappeared into the night.  
  
"Let's move," Storm said softly, gazing towards the nearby town.  
  
"What do we do with the kitty-cat?" Shadowcat asked, gazing down at the trussed up and softly cursing Feral.  
  
"Leave her," Bishop said as the tall black man ran through his arsenal.  
  
"We'll come back for her later," Storm agreed as the team headed towards the little Outback town. Among the buildings they could see fires burning, and they knew what awaited them.  
  
Feral continued to curse once they were gone, struggling weakly against the alloy bonds. 'I am so going to make those bitches pay for this,' she thought, completely unaware that a figure had emerged from the nearby shadows.  
  
"Hold still," Sakura ordered the catgirl crisply. A blade gleamed silver in her hands, remarkably sharp, and with surprising ease she cut Feral free.  
  
"Why did you..?" Feral rubbed at her arms and legs to get some of the circulation back into her tingling limbs.  
  
"Get up," Sakura offered her hand, firmly pulling the catgirl back to her feet. The white haired ninja lead her away, "You're still useful to me, girl."  
  
"Thank you," Feral said softly. Her eyes narrowed in anger, "Why didn't you kill those two traitors if you were hidden back there?"  
  
Sakura smiled coldly, "If we win, I can attend to them at my leisure."  
  
"And if we loose," Feral said softly, "I guess it won't matter anyway."  
  
"Exactly," Sakura agreed.  
  
Rogue was on point when they hit the town proper, swiftly moving through a maze of oddly familiar buildings to try to sneak up on Nemesis. It didn't work, the nearly eight foot tall figure hammering her backward through a wall!  
  
Nemesis was a fearsome figure, a human skeleton, crackling with unearthly energies, contained within a nearly eight foot tall crystal body armor. Glowing with an ominous golden light he threw fire from one hand, striking out with inhuman strength with the other.  
  
"I'm going to try to disrupt his energy flow," Kitty said, sprinting through a wave of energy like a ghost. She dove through his body, praying it would work.  
  
Nemesis screamed out in agony, his voice ringing, a wave of power throwing them all backwards. "You hurt me..." he growled, "you'll regret that."  
  
Sage hung back, the pale X-Man studying him intently. 'He seems to have no real weakness in his powers,' she calmly noted, 'his only limitation seems to be the containment suit.'  
  
High above the battle field, Storm manipulated the weather systems. Positive and negative charges shifted, power surged around her hands as she ordered, "Clear!"  
  
The X-Men moved back a moment, and it was like the skies opened up on Nemesis. The lightning bolt exploded the earth, sending rock and debris flying, but when the smoke cleared he remained unscathed.  
  
Boom!  
  
Rogue hit him with an sudden uppercut, driving the off balance enemy backwards. But her blows seemed to do no real harm, rocking him but otherwise leaving him unmarked. She ducked under a blow, kicked out at his crotch and felt a bit of amusement when he reflexedly flinched.  
  
"Don't get to close," Mystique yelled, using borrowed guns to blast away at Nemesis. The energy bolts seemed to do little harm, but they helped keep him off balance.  
  
A wild stream of power shot from Nemesis, and Lifeguard threw her body over her lover's. "Are you all right?" the golden skinned blonde asked.  
  
"Yes," thanks," Sage smiled reaching up to stroke her love's cheek before going back to studying their foe. 'The armor has to go,' Sage thought to herself bleakly, making her way over to Bishop's side. "Do you have any armor piercing rounds?" she asked  
  
"Of course," Bishop pulled the clip out of one of his weapons with a slight frown, "but it wouldn't hit with enough force to penetrate all that crystal."  
  
"Leave that to me," Sage smiled before yelling, "Rogue!"  
  
Psylocke and Thunderbird took that as their cue to move in, double teaming Nemesis with a thermal strike combined with telekinesis. Again and again they hammered at Nemesis, trying to find any weakness in his armor.  
  
Rogue took a breather, quickly moving over to Sage's side. "What's the plan?" she asked, knowing the living computer probably had one ready.  
  
Sage tossed the bullet to her and asked, "When I give the signal, can you throw this at Nemesis point first?"  
  
Bishop's eyes widened slightly. "Of course," he grinned.  
  
"No problem," Rogue tossed the bullet up and down in her hand.  
  
Sage pressed her 'X' symbol, "Storm, I need you to be ready to use your winds to push large amounts of sand into the town."  
  
"I can do it," Storm agreed, beginning to build the winds she would need from the storm system she had already called up.  
  
Sage tapped the 'X' symbol once again, "Thunderbird, I want you to be ready to generate as much heat as you possibly can."  
  
"Do my best," Thunderbird replied, the Mediterranean man sounding obviously stressed.  
  
"Now," Sage commanded Rogue.  
  
Rogue grinned, holding the bullet carefully as she combined her normal strength with the abilities of other beings she had absorbed over the years. The bullet flew from her hand, a small sonic boom in it's wake, and punched deeply into the startled Nemesis' shell. Cracks spread rapidly, Nemesis trying to hold that armor together, then it simply shattered.  
  
"Storm!" Sage cried.  
  
Sand flowed in on the winds, striking the blazing energy being, melting into a layer of glass. Sage gestured and Thunderbird melted more sand, pouring it down onto Nemesis until he was sealed in a block of glass, frozen like a statue. The skeleton within flared with energy a few times, but finally the light died down to a dull glow.  
  
The control room was deathly quiet as Sakura and Feral gazed at the monitor image. "Damn," Sakura finally said softly. She hadn't really expected the X-men to be able to defeat Nemesis, honestly. She thought he was enough to kill them.  
  
"What do we hit them with next?" Feral asked from her side.  
  
Sakura was a bit surprised that the girl hadn't fled already, honestly. Feral had to know that things were going against them. As the X- Men began to move forward on the monitor screen, Sakura hit a few switches. "The boobytraps and defenses in the town should slow them down," she said.  
  
"What can I do?" Feral offered, a dangerous smile on her face.  
  
For a moment, Sakura considered sending Feral out against the X-Men, but swiftly decided against it. It would be a pointless gesture. "Come with me," Sakura turned from the control room, "it's time to go see if McCoy is done."  
  
Up above they plowed through the town's defenses, handling the weapons emplacements, explosives, and traps quickly and efficiently. Lifeguard seemed to have a real gift for it, telling them where the traps were and often changing form to deal with them.  
  
"This is almost too easy," Deathstryke scowled as she cut another robot down.  
  
"We haven't seen Stryfe yet," Mystique reminded her softly.  
  
"If we don't beat him," Bishop agreed, "none of this will mean anything."  
  
Suddenly, there was a gentle shaking deep below them. Then once again, a slight shifting of the ground. Buildings, already battered, began to fall, as if a wave was moving through the earth itself.  
  
"What in the world," Lifeguard murmured.  
  
"Is it Avalanche?" Kitty blinked, wondering if there was a Brotherhood member that they were yet unaware of.  
  
A stronger shaking, then the ground vomited in front of them. As Storm, Psylocke and Lifeguard used their abilities to try to shield the others, a figure rose up from the torn earth. As the dust began to settle, there was a flash of silver.  
  
Sakura emerged first, pristine in her white garb, her mane of white hair billowing around her. On one side McCoy stepped forward, the mutant geneticist grinning a dangerously mad smile through his blue fur. On the other side of Sakura Feral waited, ready for any cue her mistress might give. And just above them, he floated.  
  
Stryfe had abandoned his helmet, his prematurely white hair blowing around his face, His long red cloak flowed in the telekinetic energies, his armor shining. His power was incredible, washing over everyone like some evil wave.  
  
"Time to die," Stryfe smiled coldly.  
  
To be continued... 


	30. Twentyfive

Part Twenty-five  
  
"Time to die," Stryfe said coldly.  
  
"Never," Deathstryke growled and charged.  
  
"Wait," Storm gestured, but it was too late.  
  
The sleek cyborg ran right by Storm, her finger blades extending as she dove at the four figures standing there. "Vengence will be mine," Deathstryke leapt up, then she was simply stopped there, floating in midair.  
  
Stryfe smiled at her coldly, "Such a little thing." His telekinetic energies firmly held the struggling woman there as he mused, "I wonder if I should peel the cybernetics away, see how much flesh an blood remains?"  
  
"Psylocke, Rogue, Thunderbird," Storm quietly got their attention, "go."  
  
BOOM!  
  
Rogue hammered right into Stryfe's defenses at top speed, actually rocking the powerful being backwards. Thunderbird laid a wave of plasma fire down, driving the three other Brotherhood members back, and at the same moment Psylocke focused her own telekinesis, ripping Deathstryke free before she attacked Stryfe as well.  
  
"Sakura is mine," Kitty said to the others calmly, her brown hair blowing around her face.  
  
Storm gave her a look, "Are you sure you should go after her first..?"  
  
"If I don't," Kitty said quietly, "she'll try to pick us off on her own."  
  
"She's got a point," Sage admitted softly.  
  
"I'll be right back," Kitty walked away from the group. Sakura met her gaze and the white haired ninja nodded slightly, following her away.  
  
Sage looked over to Deathstryke and asked, "Are you all right?"  
  
Deathstryke looked towards where the battle went on, her eyes dark with barely suppressed fury. "I'm sorry," she turned to bow slightly to Storm, "I let my eagerness overwhelm me."  
  
"I know you want him dead personally," Storm said coldly, "but this can't be a personal vendetta. If we don't work together, we're dead."  
  
Over on the other side of the field McCoy looked up, watching the battle with a worried expression on his face. The blue furred scientist had looked so confident just a few moments before, but as Rogue and the other two pressed Stryfe, he began to look nervous.  
  
"What's wrong?" Feral finally had to ask. Her orange fur was standing up slightly as she kept a close eye on the X-men, as well as tossing a look up at Stryfe.  
  
"He's playing with them, is what," McCoy scowled.  
  
"What?" Feral looked at him in surprise.  
  
"He's letting the fight drag on," McCoy said grimly, "not finishing them off fast. The genetic splice is still unstable, and the longer this fight continues the greater the risk the changes will unravel."  
  
Feral looked up, taking in the wild smile on their leader's face as he casually fended off the X-men's most powerful blows. "He doesn't care," she murmured softly.  
  
"No, he doesn't," McCoy agreed, "which means it's time to go. You coming?"  
  
She looked over at him in honest surprise before Feral asked, "You know Stryfe will go after you if he wins, right?" He shrugged, and Feral looked up at the battle again, finally softly murmuring, "No, I'm staying here."  
  
"Sakura," McCoy said thoughtfully. He gave her a smile, "Well, it was fun while it lasted. Good luck." With that, the blue furred figure was off, running across the sands.  
  
The shadows stretched out all around them as the two women faced each other in the hills not far from the battle. Sakura's white hair flowed out like a banner, her face grave as she stripped her outer robes off, revealing a skintight bodysuit beneath them.  
  
Kitty stood there casually, her own brown hair moving with the breeze. Her blue and black bodysuit seemed to make her disappear into the shadows, her movements becoming more catlike as they circled each other warily.  
  
"You could always giive this up," Kitty finally spoke up, "walk away."  
  
"Don't joke," Sakura answered.  
  
"No, I guess not," Kitty agreed. "Honor, duty and obligation bind us all, don't they?" The sand blew by, whistling through dead grass, "I remember."  
  
"Oh?" Sakura kept her voice level.  
  
"All my training, sparring against you," and Kitty's voice grew hard as she continued, "and the night that we spent together."  
  
"I.. do not regret that," Sakura admitted, a slight smile teasing her lips.  
  
"I couldn't say no," Kitty said softly, "but that doesn't mean I didn't want to."  
  
Sakura flinched.  
  
And in that moment Kitty moved. The first kick clipped Sakura's temple, but the white haired woman recovered. Blade gleamed in Sakura's hands, but Kitty dodged like a cat, catching one of the slim throwing knives from midair to Sakura's shock.  
  
The silvery blades clanged together, Kitty driving Sakura backwards. The white haired ninja's eyes grew wide as she fought to regain any advantage, and failed. With a simple sweep kick Kitty sent Sakura crashing to the ground, driving the blade into the ground beside her neck.  
  
"Finish it," Sakura finally said softly.  
  
"I don't need to," Kitty said, meeting her eyes. "Do you know the real reason 'Ogun took me on as his apprentice? Because you couldn't cut it."  
  
"No," Sakura snarled.  
  
"Who's been beaten, then?" Kitty asked her softly as she began to move away, "Who's the one laying there on the ground?"  
  
Sakura couldn't form an answer as Kitty walked away.  
  
"It looks like McCoy is gone," Sage noted as she watched Storm up in the sky, raining lightning bolts on the laughing Stryfe.  
  
"Which leaves Feral and Sakura," Bishop noted, even as he tried to get a clear shot at Stryfe.  
  
"Make that just Feral," Kitty said as she walked out of the shadows.  
  
"You've won," Lifeguard murmured, the tall blonde standing there protectively by her lover Sage's side.  
  
"I destroyed her," Kitty said grimly, "took it all away from her." She smiled weakly, "So why don't I feel happier about it?"  
  
"If you did," Bishop said gravely, "you'd have become just like Sakura."  
  
"Maybe," Kitty agreed. She looked up at the battle in the air before softly murmuring, "We need to get them down here, overwhelm Stryfe somehow."  
  
"But none of us are powerful enough," Sage said.  
  
"One of us might be," Kitty said grimly. She touched her communicator, "Rogue, break away, I need you down here."  
  
Storm moved in, ripping the air around them, generating massive turbulernce along with lightning flashes, generating enough of a distraction for Rogue to get clear. "I hope you have a plan, Kitten," she murmured.  
  
Rogue dropped down beside the other X-Men, her white and auburn hair messy from the battle, a bit of blood gently trickling from the corner of her mouth. "You all right?" she asked, putting her hands on her lover's shoulders.  
  
"I'll live," Kitty smiled back. She took a deep breath, "Remember that idea we had for an emergency, last chance gambit?"  
  
"This is it," Rogue agreed. She looked over at Sage, "I want you to jumpstart my abilities, send them to their next level."  
  
Sage's eyes widened, "We don't know entirely what will happen, the side effects could be..."  
  
"I'm hoping it'll let me use the powers I've absorbed like I own 'em," Rogue said softly. "That might just let me take Stryfe on equally."  
  
"Not a bad idea," Bishop admitted. "But what if it's too much for you?"  
  
"I'll take that chance," Rogue said cvrisply. She turned her head slightly, "Sage?"  
  
"All right," Sage agreed. The pale mutant held her hands just above Rogue's face, her eyes closed as she focused her concentration. Little tendrils of lightning danced between her fingers, then skimmed across Rogue's flesh. The light built up around them, brighter and brighter, until finally there was a blinding flash.  
  
"Are you all right?" Kitty asked, blinking the spots away.  
  
Rogue didn't look any different, until you saw her face. There was an odd serenity in her eyes, a slight smile on her face. "I've never been better," she murmured softly.  
  
"But did it work?" Lifeguard asked her impatiently, rushing over to help support a badly woozy looking Sage.  
  
"Oh, yeah," Rogue smiled, "Stryfe won't know what hit him." She gave Kitty a little grin, "Be careful, love, I'll be right back." With that she took off, glowing with energy as she soared up towards where Stryfe waited...  
  
To be continued! 


	31. Twentysix

Part Twenty-six  
  
Across the sand and dirt he ran as fast as he could, the blue furred figure almost bouncing as he put as much space between himself and the small outback town. 'Stryfe should have listened to me,' McCoy thought grimly, 'taken down the X-men as fast as possible.'  
  
Instead, the armored figure was up there playing games, Stryfe enjoying using his enhanced telekinesis to toy with the X-men. The graft of Nate Gray's DNA onto him had only barely been completed, and it hadn't had any chance to stabilize yet. He should have been resting, letting the changes set in and discovering the full depths of his power.  
  
'But the X-men didn't give us that time,' McCoy thought. The blue furred man bounced over a rise, feeling just a bit of regret that Feral was staying behind. 'She made her choice,' he mused, 'she'll just have to live or die by it.'  
  
Skidding McCoy slid down a rise, coming to rest there as he waited to see if there were any pursuit. He frowned, looking around, wondering what was bothering him. His eyes widened as he say the particles of dust hovering in the air, the gleam of metal.  
  
"Oh no," McCoy muttered softly.  
  
THUMP!  
  
Everything around there with even a bit of iron in it seemed to come alive, rolling like a wave right over the blue figure. In less than a second the metallic dust had formed into a set of heavy bonds, the man restrained from the neck down. Powerful muscles strained as he fought to break free, fought to escape, but it was useless.  
  
"Why was I not surprised to see you run away?" Polaris asked, moving out of the shadows, her long green hair flowing around her shoulders.  
  
"Do you want me to.." Plasma offered, her sandy brown hair falling into her eyes.  
  
"Please don't kill me," McCoy begged then pitifully, "I wasn't working for Stryfe willingly, you have to know that!"  
  
Plasma and Polaris exchanged a long look, then Polaris spoke up wryly, "You certainly can lie with a straight face."  
  
"Practice," McCoy flashed a smile.  
  
"I was thinking," Plasma gave her lover a slight smile, "it might be a bit more.. fitting, if we just turned him over to the authorities."  
  
"Just what I was thinking," Polaris agreed, "do you think you could you hit the bonds with a bit of plasma, fuse them solid?"  
  
"Done," Plasma's namesake flickered golden from her fingers and along the restraints, sealing McCoy's bonds without burning him. "Good luck, McCoy," she added as the two women began to walk away, "you're going to need it."  
  
McCoy cursed softly as he fought to get free, sweat pouring from his body as he struggled in his bonds. Polaris and Plasma had done a good job, locking him down do that he couldn't move arms or legs. He shifted, wiggling, then blinked as he slowly began to roll.  
  
"Oh, bugger," McCoy muttered as he bounced uncontrollably down the hill, slamming right into a stubby tree, "OW!"  
  
There was a flash of light in the sky, and as McCoy lay there helplessly he prayed that Strife would win...  
  
Rogue met Stryfe in the sky, a shockwave hammering the other fliers back as she went toe to toe with the megalomaniac. Stryfe seemed startled as how easily she broke through his first telekinetic barrier, but he recovered quickly, thrusting her away.  
  
Oddly, Rogue only bobbed backwards a bit, then she threw him a dangerous smile. "You'll have to do better than that," she grinned.  
  
"What have you done.." Stryfe looked startled.  
  
Rogue closed the distance again, her body shifting from flesh to metal. 'Thanks, Peter,' she though as she used the combined strength of both of her and Colossus to hammer him down to the ground with a loud crash.  
  
Stryfe pulled himself up from the ground, a thin trickle of blood running from his nose, only to jerk back as claws nearly raked across his face. Lady Deathstryke pressed forward, trying to keep him off balance as she struck at him with her cybernetic claws. From the corner of her eye she saw a flicker of red, and leapt back and over.  
  
"Got you!" Thunderbird grinned, unleashing a wave of fire on him.  
  
Stryfe cried out in pain as his cheek burned a moment, too slow in shifting from a physical defense to an energy one. "You will die for that," he growled, "all of you will."  
  
"Wanna bet?" Rogue nailed him with Cyclops' optic blast, the crimson energies punching right through his shields.  
  
Craka-Thoom! Storm called a massive burst of lightning down, the sand and dirt around the armored villain turning into glass from the heat. "Yield, villain," Storm cried.  
  
"Never," Stryfe cried, lashing out with a massive burst of power even as he reached up to try and stop the increasing blood flow from his nose.  
  
"Sage," Lifeguard cried out in alarm. The golden skinned figure tossed herself in front of her pale lover, stretching her arms out to try to protect her. The energy seemed to stop in midair, Lifeguard's eyes flashed, and the energy boomeranged back!  
  
"Incredible," Sage murmured, her eyes wide as Stryfe screamed in pain. The armored figure staggered, a tear of blood trickling down his face and she gasped, "He's burning out. The graft of Nate Gray's DNA didn't fully take."  
  
"We've got to keep pressing him," Bishop opened up with his pistols, wishing there was some kind of energy available he could absorb and direct against Stryfe.  
  
"Right," Thunderbird threw as much flame as possible, even as Psylocke summoned up her telekinesis to hammer at Stryfe too.  
  
"He just won't give up," Psylocke muttered.  
  
"You will all pay," Stryfe roared, his white hair falling out from his scalp, the power surging around him as he began to bleed from the ears, "all of Xavier's brood will pay!"  
  
"Not in this century," Shadowcat phased her hand right through his head and directly into his brain's frontal lobe.  
  
Boom! There was what only could be described as a telekinetic explosion, with massive amounts of mental energy being released uncontrolled. Stryfe howled in agony, hurling Kitty backward, his armor falling away to reveal bleeding, torn flesh.  
  
"Are you nuts?!" Rogue demanded, catching her lover from midair.  
  
"It hurt him," Kitty grinned, "and yeah, probably. I don't think he can take much more, but when he does loose control.. it's going to be bad."  
  
Sakura looked up at the morning sky, watching dully as the flashes from Stryfe's battle appeared. It was all over, now, there was simply nothing left for her. A skittering sound, maybe that of an animal, caught her attention and she hoped her end would be quick.  
  
"Sakura?" Feral's familiar voice asked.  
  
The orange furred catgirl walked forward, coming into Sakura's line of view. She looked worried as she grew nearer, and Sakura wondered what she saw, what broken thing lay on the ground before her. "Go away, it's over," she turned her face away.  
  
"Well, Stryfe's going down," Feral agreed, the catgirl kneeling down beside Sakura to grab her arm, tugging her upwards.  
  
"Let me go," Sakura cried, tears in her eyes, "I'm done!"  
  
"You're still alive," Feral met her eyes, "you can still get Pryde for what she's done to you, for what you told me she did to your master."  
  
"She beat me," Sakura meat Feral's eyes as she said grimly, "she defeated me in every way. I have nothing left, do you understand?"  
  
Feral hesitated, clearly unsure of what to say. "You've got at least one thing left, Sakura," she finally said calmly.  
  
"And what is that?" Sakura shot back, ashamed of the tears on her cheeks.  
  
Feral reached out, catching those tears. Looking into Sakura's eyes she said simply, "You sill have me, Sakura. If you want me, that is."  
  
Sakura looked at her blankly for a moment, then she turned her face slightly, enjoying that feeling. "Thank you," she finally said softly, "I guess I do."  
  
Feral smiled back, stroking that cheek. "We'd better get out of here," she said with a new urgency, "Stryfe is about to take the big dirt nap, I think."  
  
"Right," Sakura agreed, both women slipping away silently, ignoring the battle that raged not too far away.  
  
In the middle of that battle Rogue dove in towards where the battered Stryfe waited, ready to finish it. A quick conference with Sage and Kitty had brought forth the idea, but first she had to get them away from the others.  
  
"You," Stryfe growled out, blood in his mouth.  
  
Rogue grabbed what was left of his cape, turning the attack aside with telekinesis borrowed from Jean Gray. With a heave she tossed him straight up, following at top speed as she switched powers once again.  
  
Stryfe recovered quickly, glaring as she rose up towards him. "You think you can defeat me all alone?" he wheezed.  
  
"Oh, yes," Rogue drove her fist as his face even as she called on the powers of Magneto.  
  
The human brain is very like a computer, running on electrical currents. An electromagnetic pulse plays havoc with any form of electronics, and that was exactly what rogue generated, focused in a pocket containing her and Stryfe. There was a moment when Stryfe realized what was happening, buy he was helpless as his higher brain functions completely shut down.  
  
And his borrowed powers turned on him, his will no longer able to hold them in check.  
  
The explosion lit up the sky, and some said it was visible all across Australia. Out of the blast Rogue was flung, her clothes aflame as she bounced off the turf, skidding to a stop with the assistance of Psylocke's telekinesis.  
  
"Rogue!" Kitty ran to her side, getting the flames out in a moment. The woman looked fine otherwise, but she lay there so still.  
  
"Kitty," Rogue opened up her eyes. "I don't feel so good," and with that she collapsed bonelessly into Kitty's arms.  
  
Klang! With a long crash a hunk of molten metal crashed to the ground nearby. As the X-Men rushed over smoke swirled around it, the twisted remains of Stryfe barely recognizable in the wreckage....  
  
To be continued.. 


	32. Twentyseven

Part Twenty-seven  
  
Kitty looked in the bedroom worriedly, gazing in at the sleeping figure laying there. Rogue's reddish hair fell around her face, her skin awfully pale, somehow, matching the white streaks. A fading bruise was on her cheek, her breathing coming slow and even.  
  
"How is she?" Ororo asked, keeping her voice down. Long white hair flowed over her shoulders, her skin chocolate brown.  
  
"She's still out cold," Kitty murmured. The two of them walked away from the sleeping figure as the brown haired girl continued speaking softly, "She has bruises, Ororo, even burns. Shouldn't her invulnerability have protected her?"  
  
"It might just be a side effect of the power boost," Ororo offered, "she might have to be aware for her powers to be fully active." She looked over at Kitty with a worried frown, "Have you eaten since we came back?"  
  
"I had a sandwich earlier," Kitty shrugged. She ran a hand through her brown hair and offered a smile, "Did Bishop drop off McCoy and what was left of Stryfe with the police?"  
  
"Cat was entertained," Ororo agreed. They walked into the living room, the assembled X-men and guest looking up in concern.  
  
Yuriko sat on the couch, her cybernetics concealed by her simple clothing. The black haired Asian rose and asked, "Has Rogue awakened?"  
  
"Not yet," Kitty said with a sigh. She was a little surprised to see Yuriko still here, but her concern for Rogue was honest.  
  
"She has the heart of a samurai," Yuriko said simply, "such a one will not let a thing like this defeat her." With that, she strode off.  
  
"Well, that was interesting," Kitty blinked.  
  
"She means well, I think," Elizabeth offered. The purple haired telekinetic was sitting in a chair with Neal, the two relaxing. "So did the others get clean away?" she asked.  
  
"It appears so," Sage nodded, looking oddly incomplete without Heather standing nearby. Lifeguard was on duty down on the beach, and as much as Sage wanted to be down there with her the pale black haired woman felt her duty was here. "Feral seems to have spirited Sakura away," Sage smiled slightly, "though we have heard from Plasma and Polaris."  
  
"Oh, really?" Kitty looked surprised.  
  
"Polaris says she and Plasma are going to destroy the Living Pharaoh's forces," Sage said dryly, "at least according to the voice message they left."  
  
"Should keep them busy," Ororo noted.  
  
"And hopefully out of trouble," Neal offered with a smile.  
  
"Keep who out of trouble?" the voice asked. They turned to see Rogue standing there in the doorway, leaning up against the wall for support.  
  
"Rogue," Kitty rushed over to her lover's side, looking up at her in concern. "Are you all right?" she asked worriedly.  
  
"I feel weak as a kitten," Rogue admitted quietly, "pardon the pun, and I think I could eat a horse. Have we got anything to eat?"  
  
Rogue took a step and stumbled slightly, Ororo moving forward to grab her arm before she fell. "Oh, no," she murmured, realizing that she had grabbed Rogue's bare arm with her hand...  
  
...and nothing happened. "Whoa," Rogue blinked, looking up at Ororo in surprise. "Nothing," she said quietly, "no effect at all."  
  
Kitty reached out to take Rogue's hand, shutting down her phasing power entirely. "Anything?" Kitty asked softly.  
  
"Nope," Rogue closed her eyes, concentrating. She seemed to be gritting her teeth, then sighed, "Nothin' works. No strength, flight, none of my powers seem to be there."  
  
"I'm sorry," Sage had a frown on her face, "this must be connected to what I did when I enhanced your powers."  
  
Rogue had the oddest look on her face, "You think it's permanent?"  
  
"I don't know," Sage admitted.  
  
"It's possible your abilities might return in time," Ororo quietly offered, looking at her teammate in concern.  
  
"Either way," Rogue said, "for now I don't have any powers, guys." She smiled wryly, "So what do we do know?"  
  
"I think I have a suggestion," Kitty said with a slight smile.  
  
It took a few days to get everything organized, but they managed pretty well. They wanted to get this done before Kitty and Rogue left, of course. After a certain amount of discussion they had decided to take a vacation for awhile, to give Rogue's powers a chance to return.  
  
The Blackbird descended on the nearby beach, coming to a rest out on the water as the passengers disembarked. Professor Xavier led the way, soon followed by Jean, Scott, Emma, Kurt. Logan and a few of their other teammates.  
  
There was a loud displacement of air and Kurt disappeared, reappearing at Kitty's side. The blue furred man beamed as he pulled her into a hug, "Is it true? Is my little Katzchen getting married?"  
  
Kitty laughed, "Yeah, we decided it was about time, so..."  
  
"Congratulations," a smile tugged at Scott's usually dour expression, his brown hair falling in front of his ruby quartz glasses.  
  
"Me, too," Jean hugged the younger girl close, the redhead smiling.  
  
"Never thought I'd see the day," Logan laughed, his short black hair swept back in it's distinctive style.  
  
"Thank you for inviting us," Professor Xavier smiled at her, the bald headed man putting his hand on her shoulder.  
  
"You're all family to me," Kitty said simply. She laughed, "I shouldn't be hogging you all, the others will want to see you."  
  
"Lead the way," Emma Frost smiled, her white hair flowing down her back, dressed in her much racier version of the X-men uniform.  
  
There was a moment of tension as the Professor and the others entered the living room, the splinter group confronting their parent, but the occasion seemed to help put aside any of the remaining bitterness. There were still a few surprises in store, however.  
  
"Yuriko?" Logan blinked as he walked over to where Lady Deathstryke stood. His former blood-enemy wore the same X-men uniform as the other members of the group. He looked her up and down, "I'll be damned."  
  
"I no longer have a feud with you," Deathstryke said simply, "nor any of Xavier's students." A slight smile, "And I found I enjoyed fighting by their side against Stryfe. So when Kitty suggested me as her replacement, I said yes."  
  
"Storm's got a good eye," Logan grinned. His eyes narrowed slightly as she walked through the crowd towards him, "And here she comes now." Deathstryke, deciding this might just be trouble, smoothly slipped away.  
  
"Logan," Ororo looked just a bit nervous as she introduced the woman beside her, "I'd like you to meet my lover, Raven Darkholme."  
  
Logan tilted his head to the side as he growled, "Been awhile, Mystique. You planning on staying with the side of the angels?"  
  
"I love her," Raven reached out to take Ororo's hand in hers as she continued firmly, "and I'd never betray that."  
  
Logan met her eyes, studying her intently. A slight smile, "All right, that's fair enough. I seem to remember you bein' pretty loyal, back in the day." He looked over at Ororo, "You usually don't guess wrong, 'Roro. Hope you're right this time."  
  
"That was warm," Raven quietly said to Ororo as Logan excused himself, quickly moving over to talk to Elizabeth.  
  
"It went better than I was expecting, actually," Ororo admitted as she squeezed Raven's hand. "Give him time," she added.  
  
"Professor," Rogue grinned, hugging him close. She laughed at his startled expression, "I've been using the opportunity to do that a lot, lately."  
  
"Understandable," Charles Xavier agreed. He tilted his head to the side as he offered, "You seem truly happy."  
  
"I am," Rogue looked over at Kitty with fondness, "I love her, more than I ever expected to love anyone else."  
  
"And Remy?" Jean asked about Gambit softly.  
  
"Tried to contact him," Rogue sighed, "I wanted him to hear it from me."  
  
"So what are you two planning?" Scott asked curiously, carrying a cup of coffee with him.  
  
"A bit of a honeymoon," Rogue smiled, "we're gonna spend a few weeks up at Kitty's cabin, just the two of us. Kitty was also thinking of stopping in at the school later, if my powers don't kick back in on their own."  
  
"We'll be ready to help," the Professor agreed.  
  
Emma walked over to where Kitty stood by the mini-bar, getting herself a fruit drink. "How are you?" Emma softly asked.  
  
"Managing," Kitty said honestly. "What Sakura did to me all those years ago, it left it's damage," she said softly, "but I'll get over it, I think."  
  
"Let me know if there's anything I can do to help," Emma said honestly. She looked across the crowd, wincing a bit as Ororo glared back at her.  
  
"You want a piece of unsolicited advice?" Kitty offered. Emma looked over at her curiously and Kitty shrugged, "Apologize. It's the only way you'll start being something other than enemies."  
  
"We'll see," Emma replied, keeping her voice neutral. She smiled slightly, "Are you going to wear that for the wedding?"  
  
"No," Kitty checked her watch, "and it's about time to get changed. See you!"  
  
Ororo and Kitty retired to a bedroom, even as Raven and Rogue went into another one. "Thanks, Mom," Rogue smiled as Raven helped her slip the suit on, being careful to avoid all the bandages and burns.  
  
"We really should have let you heal up a bit longer," Raven noted, adjusting the tie. Rogue had chosen to wear a suit, and she looked good in the crisp black garment.  
  
"Considering how often we get caught up in trouble," Rogue replied with a smile, "I thought we should take advantage of the relative quiet."  
  
"True," Raven acknowledged, taking a step back to look her daughter over. "You look terrific, of course," she smiled.  
  
"Thanks," Rogue smiled a little sadly thinking of her other adopted mother, "but I just wish that Irene could be here."  
  
"She is, sort of," Raven produced a letter from her pocket, handing it over.  
  
Rogue unfolded it, reading Irene Alder's gentle script. "Congratulations," she read aloud, "I'm not using my gift to foresee this event, but instead hope that you will find love, someday. Whoever it is, be happy, and know your future is your own to make."  
  
The trees were dark where he stood, looking down at the beach house and the preparations that were going on in the backyard. Chairs were set up, and it looked like the ceremony itself was going to be performed beneath a vine covered wooden arch.  
  
"You coming down to join the party, Cajun?" Logan asked him gruffly, a lit cigar held between his teeth.  
  
Remy Lebeau shook his head slightly, reddish brown hair falling into red eyes, "No, I don't think so. I'd be like a ghost at the party, reminding everyone what could have been."  
  
"They wouldn't have invited you," Logan reminded him, "if they didn't want you there."  
  
"Thanks, my friend," Remy shot him an honest smile, "but no." With that he turned, trenchcoat swirling around him, and walked away. 


	33. Final and Author's Notes

Part Twenty-eight and Author's Notes  
  
In another part of the building Kitty turned, her white dress swirling around her. "Be honest," she demanded, "how do I look?"  
  
"Rogue may not be able to speak when she sees you coming down the aisle," Ororo said with a gentle smile.  
  
"Thanks," Kitty laughed. She took a breath, "Do you think the professor minds, my asking you to be the one to give me away?"  
  
"He understands," Ororo smiled, "though I was pleasantly surprised to be asked."  
  
Kitty smiled up at her, "If I could choose a mother not of my blood, you'd be it." She paused, "Even with the sexual confusion you caused me in my teens."  
  
Ororo just couldn't let that go, "Oh?"  
  
"The first time you showed up in your leathers," Kitty was blushing, "after your night out with Yukio. I was just a bit startled by how... attractive, you were to me."  
  
"That was the point of that outfit, more or less," Ororo agreed. There was a sound of music outside and she offered her arm, "Ready?"  
  
"Yes," Kitty flipped her veil down and took Ororo's arm.  
  
Kurt Wagner smiled down at Rogue as they stood waiting in the back yard. "Take deep breaths," he advised his adopted sister in his role as priest, "fainting would be a very bad idea right now." He paused, "Not that it hasn't been known to happen..."  
  
"That's easy for you to say," Rogue muttered. Raven stood beside her as the best woman, and across the lawn the members of the X-men sat, silent and ready; the Prof, Jean and Scott, Neal, Sage, Heather, Yuriko with that quirky little smile, Bishop and Cat sitting close together, Heather's brother Davis, Logan, and finally Emma.  
  
There was motion from the house, and Rogue felt her throat tighten as Kitty walked out with Ororo. She strode up the row smoothly to where Elizabeth stood as the maid of honor. "You all right?" Kitty asked her softly.  
  
"I'll manage," Rogue croaked.  
  
Kurt smiled, raising his voice to say, "Dearly beloved... " Rogue didn't register everything he said, just the cue for the rings. She slipped the gold circle on Kitty's finger, then with much more smoothness Kitty slipped hers onto Rogue's finger. "You may kiss the brides!" Kurt declared joyfully.  
  
Rogue flipped the veil up, drawing Kitty into a gentle but firm kiss. "If that's the start," Kitty managed breathlessly, "I may not live through the honeymoon."  
  
Rogue laughed as they ran down the aisle together. The paused by the house and Rogue whispered to Kitty, "The flowers!"  
  
Kitty kept her back turned and called out, "Is everyone ready?" A chorus of female voices and Kitty flung the bouquet over her shoulder.  
  
The flowers arched up into the air, seemed to hand there a moment, then dropped suddenly. Ororo blinked in shock as the bouquet fell into her hands, laughter ringing out as Raven hugged her with a happy smile.  
  
"You didn't aim that, did you?" Ororo demanded.  
  
Kitty just grinned at that. She and Rogue paused in the doorway, a smile on Rogue's face as she vowed, "We will be back."  
  
"Count on it," Kitty agreed.  
  
They ran through the house to the front door, picking up the suitcases that were waiting for them. They could have gotten a ride back to the States in the Blackbird, but had decided to go back the way they had arrived here, by commercial plane. The walk down the front steps to the jeep went more slowly, pausing to look back at the house.  
  
Rogue loaded the luggage into the back at the jeep, then turned to help Kitty into the vehicle. "I'm going to miss this," she said softly, settling into the driver's side.  
  
"Me, too," Kitty agreed as she took her seat, tossing the veil in the back with the luggage. She took Rogue's hand in hers and leaned over to kiss her, "But we won't be gone long, I think."  
  
"Oh?" Rogue asked, starting up the jeep.  
  
Kitty grinned, "We're both too into getting into trouble, love."  
  
"You got that right," Rogue agreed as they headed off down the road together.  
  
The End.  
  
Author's notes: You know, for a one-shot this ended up being one hell of a story. 130 some pages, 62 500 words, and it all started out with a simple what if question. Was there an X-man whom Rogue could have a physical relationship with? After some thought I came up with Kitty, who also had some possibilities for romance in their background. I had intended to end after chapter one, but the idea of hooking them up with the Xtreme X- Men was just too attractive... I may or may not continue this, depending on how I feel. I want to take a little break, then I may take it up once again.  
  
This is set outside of the regular X-men's continuity, a litte 'what if' story set after Rogue's powers underwent a major change. It seemed to me that a leave of absence would have been a good idea for her, considering all of her current power related problems in the regular comic book series. I used to be a big X-men fan, but now I'm just a casual reader, so if I get any technical bits wrong, let me know so I can try to change it.  
  
I'm not sure how much real evidence there is in the comic series itself for there being any possible romantic relationship between these two characters. Kitty did put her own life in serious jeopardy to save Rogue's, but that's something many X-men have done for each other over the years. I've included that in the new prelude, as well as a Rogue/Kitty moment afterwards. I do think that Rogue would be more open to a relationship with a girl than most X-women might be, but other than that, I really just don't know...  
  
About Kitty's fighting skills: No, she's not quite that good in the comics series, though she probably really should be by now. She's had years of training under Wolverine and the X-Men, along with all the Ninja skills that she aquired from 'Ogun. The hand attempted to turn her into an assasin once, and she underwent a soul-merge with both Wolverine and Sabertooth at that time...  
  
Chapter Three Notes: The bar meeting I described between Storm and Raven actually did happen in the regular comic books. Published in the 'Marvel Fanfare' series to slip it by the usual editorial restrictions, it's a little known and very rarely reprinted tale of the X-men. It's also the first time that Raven and Irene are implied to be a romantic couple, as well. I only know about it because it showed up in a book called 'X-Men Rarities'.  
  
Interlude Notes: What actually happened in that single night between Storm and Yukio must be one of the great mysteries of the X-Men series, the topic of years of fan speculation. The alley sequence happened in the comics, then they just faded to black. The next time we see Storm is the next morning, and she's been seriously transformed. She appears at Logan's wedding to Mariko dressed in her skin tight leathers and with a mohawk, to everyone's surprise and poor Kitty's horror. Update! In X-Men Unlimited, they are doing a story on what happened that night. However, much is still left to the imagination. Sigh...  
  
I'm generally not covering the all superhero battles in Xtreme X-Men, unless something in my story is significantly different than in the comics. Like Kitty being able to take down Vargas, for instance. In the original story, Vargas kills Psylocke, but I thought it would be more interesting if Kitty could beat him, instead.  
  
I do hope that I haven't made this a fic non-X-men fans couldn't follow, but I will summarize the characters and terms mentioned in the story below. If I missed something, let me know and I'll try to add it in as well.  
  
Footnotes: A newbies guide to characters and terms.  
  
Kitty Pryde, a.k.a. Shadowcat: the youngest X-man for many years, she has undergone many changes in her career. Highly intelligent, she has been years ahead of her classmates, both educationally and in her emotional development. However, she's had extremely bad luck in love, with a falling out with Piotr Rasputin, the transformation and death of her roommate, Illyana, falling for and breaking up with Pete Wisdom, and finally the death of Piotr Rasputin. On a trip to Japan, Kitty was transformed into a 'demon ninja' by the villain 'Ogun, and retained many of those abilities afterwards. She has also honed her fighting abilities under Wolverine's training. She had left the X-men for a time, when Rogue comes to visit her.  
  
Rogue Darkholme (?): A former member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, she was raised by Raven Darkholme (Mystique) and Irene Adler (Destiny), the two leaders of that group. Raven and Irene were lovers, and raised Rogue as their own daughter. Rogue and Kitty have been close friends, Rogue even asking Kitty to come with her when she went to go help her mother, Mystique. I don't know what age Rogue was adopted by Raven and Irene, and I'm assuming she was a fairly small child at the time for story purposes only.  
  
Nightcrawler a.k.a. Kurt Wagner: the 'fuzzy elf" of the X-Men, he has only in the past year or so discovered that he is the biological son of Mystique. He and Rogue are still getting used to the idea of being members of the same family. A Roman Catholic Priest in training, one wonders about his reaction to Kitty and Rogue's relationship.  
  
Danger Room: the X-Men's specially built training center equipped with highly advanced holographic technology and humanoid combat drones, allowing it's users to develop their powers under different conditions with simulated foes.  
  
The Blackbird: One of several high powered stealth transport jets used by the various X-men teams. The first one was an SR-21 Lockheed Martin Blackbird, modified by Prof. Xavier and the team. It was later replaced by a series of various custom built black aircraft created by the X-men's ally, the mutant inventor Forge.  
  
Mystique and Destiny, a.k.a. Raven Darkholme and Irene Alder: Long time lovers (see Xtr. X-Men #1), they raised Rogue together as their own daughter. They both cared for her a great deal, and, in Mystique's case, very reluctantly let her go to the X-men when her powers went completely out of her control. Destiny was killed in a fierce battle several years ago, something that Mystique has never really gotten over.  
  
Gambit, a.k.a. Remy Lebeau: the on and mostly off romantic interest for Rogue. A charming thief, he has kept many grave secrets from Rogue, and has been regularly pulled away from her side by his obligations as the leader of the Thieves' Guild. The greatest secret he kept from the X-men was that he was the recruiter who created the Marauders for the villainous Mr Sinister, as well as showing them the way into the Alley.  
  
Stevie Hunter: Dance teacher and friend of Kitty Pryde, also an old friend of Prof. Xavier. Knows alot about the X-men. Sadly, she hasn't been featured in the series for a while. Her being an anime fan is something I just made up, though.  
  
Illyana Rasputin, a.k.a. Magik: Kitty's best friend and roommate at the mansion, Kitty was extremely distressed by Illyana's transformation into a young child, and then her later death due to complications of the Legacy Virus. Illyana had powerful mystical abilities and developed a link of souls between her and Kitty, so much so that after her apparent death, Kitty began to show magical powers of her own until choosing to completely give them up. Magik has recently reappeared, separate somehow from Illyana and much more demon in her appearance and powers.  
  
Ororo Munroe, a.k.a. Storm: Longtime leader of the X-men, she has also been a mother figure to Kitty. That changed somewhat when she went through her punk phase, but eventually they managed to patch things up between them. Storm has both led and followed through some of the most difficult periods of the X-men's turbulant history. She is someone who Kitty has always looked up to, and she greatly values her opinions.  
  
Wolverine a.k.a. Logan: Kitty's father figure in the X-Men, her mentor in the martial arts and in some ways her sensei. Logan helped her recover from the psychic rape preformed by the ninja 'Ogun, and regain her true personality. At one point in his life, he intended to marry Mariko Yashada, but duty and responsibility seperated them.  
  
Yukio: A former enemy and lover of Wolverine's and a self-styled 'ronin', or masterless samurai. An on and off ally of the X-Men, with a visible bond with Storm.  
  
Heather Cameron a.k.a. Lifeguard: Her and her brother Davis were both introduced in Xtreme X-Men. Their father was a crimelord, who put them up for adoption to keep them from being pulled into his dangerous way of life. When she first appeared in the comics there was an interesting chemistry between her and Sage, something I'm following up on.  
  
Jean Grey, aka Phoenix: the X-Men's current telepath as well as a close friend of Storm. Storm has described her as being as close to her as a sister. The idea of anything else between them is the product of my over- active imagination...  
  
Sabertooth aka Victor Creed: one of the creations of the Weapon X project, he has pursued a vendetta against Logan for many years. Possessed of a similar healing factor to Logan he has also recently acquired adamantium laced fingernails similar to Logan's claws. At one point he, Kitty and Logan were captured by the Hand, who attempted to corrupt them into their service. The Hand temporarily exchanged a piece of each of their essence into the others, Kitty receiving his savagery while he gained Logan's sense of honor.  
  
Stryfe: the clone of Nathan Summers aka Cable, raised in the far future by it's ruler the villain Apocalypse. He traveled into the past to destroy the X-Men, using the Mutant Liberation Front as a cover. Even death couldn't stop him, his spirit possessing Cable's body for a time, then ultimately creating a new body for himself.  
  
Polaris, aka Lorna Dane, the mistress of magnetism. An original X-Man, she left the group along with Havok when the second generation of students arrived. But again and again events would pull her back into the battle, until she and her lover were separated by tragedy. Now she wants to find him, and will do whatever she must to accomplish this...  
  
The Brotherhood: Stryfe's new foot soldiers, each chosen for their ability to assist with his future plans. McCoy: the Dark Beast of an alternate world, Feral: a former member of X-Force who committed a murder, Plasma: the daughter of the Living Pharaoh and his sworn enemy, Nemesis: a living engine of fiery destruction, Polaris: an X-Man fallen from grace, and finally Sakura: the assassin in Stryfe's employ. 


End file.
